Species profile: House Finch
House finches are rather frequent visitors at our sunflower feeder. The house finch is a small, sparrow sized bird which may easily be confused with its cousin, the purple finch. It tends to not have as much purple, however, and more streaking on the flanks. They appear brighter red in spring, but for an interesting reason. They do not molt in the spring as some bird do, but rather have feathers which are tipped with gray after their fall molt. This gray coloring wears off over the winter, leaving their feathers more brilliant for the breeding season.
Originally a western species, the house finch can now be found throughout most of the United States. Its range expansion is an interesting story. My bird guide shows populations on the east and west coast with a large gap in the middle of the country. Nowhere do the two ranges meet. How did the bird come to expand its territory in such an odd fashion? In the 1940s, pet dealers from California began shipping them to New York City as cage birds known as “Hollywood finches.” Since they are wild, this was illegal and the US Fish and Wildlife Service eventually discovered the practice. They began arresting dealers. In order to avoid arrest, some dealers released the caged birds. The population grew and their range expanded. More current range maps show that the the two populations’ ranges have since joined.
They are especially attracted to sunflower seeds, but also enjoy the Nyger seed offered in tube feeders. Ours particularly like the platform feeder. They are not particularly shy, and often will be among the last birds to flee when there is commotion near the windows.
house finch, birdwatching, backyard birding, birding, bird feeding
July 14th, 2007 at 12:07 am
[...] Our American goldfinches who have been a rarity since summer began have been coming daily. The house finches have been very active, sometimes taking over the entire sunflower feeder. My daughter and I [...]