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House Finch - (Carpodacus mexicanus)
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| January
15, 2009 - We couldn't resist this pose of a
house finch sitting at his favorite
establishment (enlarge to see where he is). He
settled here while he waited for us to fill the
feeders and get back in the house where we
belonged. It was too chilly for all of us. All
the finch mix, nyjer and sunflower seed feeders
are full. Eat hearty- it's almost time for bed,
or maybe you refer to it as time for perch. |
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Formerly the house finch
lived only in the Western part of the US and
Mexico. In the 1940's a few of these pretty
birds were sent to New York City to be sold in
pet stores. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of
1918 made it illegal to cage and sell migratory
birds. In order to avoid persecution and fines
for selling what they were calling "Hollywood
Finches", the house finches were quickly and
secretly released on Long Island. They have
adapted well and now all of the present day
Eastern house finches have descended from these
few.
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It is said that the house finch is often the
most common bird found at feeders. In our
backyard the goldfinches are the first and last
to feed. The house finches and purple
finches are often welcome guests too. It
seems finches come to the feeders in crowds.
Safety in numbers or just hate eating alone?
According to one source, the house finch will
drink from a hummingbird feeder. Although
we have one equipped with perches, we have never
seen a house finch drink at a nectar bar.
Their favorite eating establishments are feeders
whose house specialty is sunflower or regular
finch seed mix. To vary their feeder diets, they
are also seen hanging around feed sacks for the
Nyjer seeds.
These perky little birds may be year-round in
our area according to the bird books, but they
seem to be seeking their fortune elsewhere for
the moment. We haven't spotted one since
their babies were introduced to our feeders
several weeks ago. Maybe they're on an early
leaf peeping tour with the kids? Hurry
back before the snow flies.
Mid October brought the gang back. This was
just in time for peak colored leaf turning in
our own backyard, and thus actually beating the
first snow by 10 days. Well done!
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Size:
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Length: 5-6 in
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Weight: .75 oz |
Wingspan: 9.5 in |
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ID:
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Male: Bright red face, breast and
rump; brownish cap; brown upper back
with paler stripes; heavily
streaked flanks and belly; squared tail;
beak short, gray and conical; grayish
brown feet anisodactylous (three toes
point forward and one toe points
backward)
Female and Juvenile: Heavily streaked
underparts; grayish brown indistinct
facial patterning
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Habitat:
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Open woodland, grasslands, thorny
scrub vegetation, farms, and backyards
with trees and feeders
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Diet:
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Seeds (sunflower, nyjer), fruit,
buts, berries.
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and
solitary; 2 broods per year; females
will choose the reddest male
Local Breeding Period: Mid to
late April
Nests: Built in trees, cavities, old
nest, especially in conifers and
ornamental shrubs; open cup shape of
twigs, grass, feathers and debris;
female builds
Eggs: 4-5 pale bluish green with
sparingly dotted black; female incubates
12-14 days (fed by the male)
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
11-19 days; fed by both parents;
nestlings fed only plant foods by
regurgitating.
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Social Activities:
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Forages and visits feeders with small
flock; very social bird
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Range:
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Year-round resident in most of the
United States, Mexico and southern
Canada
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Vocalization:
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Cheerful, disjointed, warbling song
ending with harsh, nasal "wheer"; both
male and female sing
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 12 years |
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