The genus Fringilla is a small group of finches from the Old World, which are the only species in the subfamily Fringillinae.

The genus Fringilla was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.

[3] The genus now contains eight species:[4] The Eurasian chaffinch is found primarily in forest habitats, in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia; the blue chaffinches are island endemics; and the brambling breeds in the northern taiga and southern tundra of Eurasia.

[5] They have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings.

While breeding, they feed their young on insects rather than seeds, unlike other finches.