|
Decription
The house finch is slightly smaller than the
Purple Finch, and has a fairly large beak and a
long, flat head. The male is a bright red. The
wings are short, and there are dark stripes on
the sides and the belly of the House Finch. The
striped brown male bird differs from the female
bird by it’s smaller bill and blander face
pattern.
Size: 5 - 5.5” (13 -
14cm)
Voice: The House Finch’s
song is a bright and cheery warble and it also
sounds loose and disjointed. This cheer
warble often ends in a harsh nasal “where” or
“che-urr”. You can hear both the male and
female House Finch sing during mating season,
but the male is the only House Finch that is
heard year-round.
Distribution &
Habitat
The House Finch was
originally concentrated in the Western United
States to Southern Mexico. In 1940, the House
Finch was introduced into North Eastern United
States and has now spread across most of the
United States.
Today, House Finches are commonly found in
cities, suburbs, city parks, backyards, forest
edges and farms across North America. You will
also find House Finches in deserts, grasslands,
chaparral and open woods which are their native
habitats.
Feeding Habits
The House Finch is a dominant species at many
eastern feeders,
especially if the feeder contains sunflower and
Nyjer seeds. They generally eats grains, seeds
and berries. When the House Finch is not at a
feeder, they feed on the ground and consume
large amounts of dandelion seeds and other
weeds growing in lawns and
grasslands.
Breeding & Nesting
Habits
The House Finch has a nest that is cup shaped
and generally made up of grasses, twigs and
leaves. The male generally collects the nesting
material while the female builds the nest.
These finches will nest in cavities such as old
woodpecker holes but will also nest in man-made
birdhouses or nesting boxes. The nests are
generally located 5 to 7 feet off of the
ground.
The female usually lays 2 to 6 bluish eggs with
fine speckles. Incubation is done by the female
for 12 to 14 days, and during this time, the
male will feed the female by regurgitating seed
into the females mouth. Once the eggs have
hatched, the female will regurgitate the seeds
that the male provided to her, and she will
feed this to the hatchlings. The fledglings
will usually leave the nest in about 11 to 19
days after hatching. After the young have
fledged, the parents will continue to feed
them. However the female may find a new
mate and raise a new brood while the male
continues to feed the young. It is possible
that House Finches will raise two or more brood
in a season.
Back to Top
|
BetterBirds.com
