Species Name: House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

Length: 6" WS 9.5"

Description: Sparrow-sized, male streaked brown with bright red breast, forehead, eyebrow and rump, female lacks red, similar to female Purple Finch, but more finely streaked; smaller body but longer tailed than other finches, slightly notched tail, more rounded wings. Female has drab blurry streaks.

Range: Western species occurred naturally to Nebraska, introduced in eastern section, spreading to east half of continent

Habitat: Urban areas, suburbs, parks, farms, ranches, roadsides, feeders, desert. Gregarious and very abundant. Introduced to Long Island, New York in 1971. Has spread west very rapidly. One of most abundant birds in the west.

Nesting: 4-5 pale blue eggs lightly spotted with black in a well-made cup of grass in a bush, thicket or natural cavity or on a building.

Diet: Fruit buds, tree sap, consumes virtually no insects; feeds nestlings almost entirely on seeds

Odd Facts: Population is descended from cage birds first released in the 1940s, competes with House Sparrow for nest sites. Call a soft, mellow fillp or fidlp; flight call a soft, husky vweet like softer notes of House Sparrows.

Related or Similar Species: Similar to its cousins, Cassin's and Purple Finch. Range and general description vary according to species.

Identification: Familiarity in its range and tolerance of people in both urban and country settings makes this an easy bird for almost everyone to identify. Many people confuse House Finches with Purple Finches although the latter lack the streaking down the sides. Males are easier to identify than females. Their distinctive flight calls are often the best way of distinguishing between finch species in the field.

Advice on Finding and Photographing: House Finches are not particularly wary of people. They are among the easiest birds to attract and photograph at your back yard feeders and bird bath. They will allow close approach within reason, and flash will usually not bother them. I find that placing perches near my feeders produces natural looking images.

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