Do you know how House Finches, the bird with red chest, became one of the most common birds in North America? A few birds were released from a pet store in New York, in 1940.
Then on, these birds (only sold as pets then) have expanded their population naturally in the wild and have adjusted to almost all type of climates.
House Finch Male
Location & Range
House Finch are North American residents, found mainly in the northern and eastern regions, spanning Mexico, Canada, and Hawaii. They adapt to diverse habitats including deserts, forests, farms, and urban areas.
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Behavior
Mostly resident, they migrate short distances if necessary, highly social in large flocks. They sing year-round, their chirps akin to house sparrows.
These finches are 12.5 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in) in length and weigh around 21 g. Adult males have orange-red color on heads, necks, and shoulders with brown and white streaked belly and lower parts.
Male House Finch
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Their head color may range from yellow to orange and finally to intense red; depending on the pigments in their diet.
Immature males resemble females, while females are gray-brown with thick streaks on their lower parts. Both sexes have notched brown tails typical of finches and sport strong, slightly curved bills.
House Finches are primarily vegetarian. House Finches are one of the rare birds who feed their nestlings mostly plant based foods.
Diet
They enjoy thistle, nettle, mustard seeds, dandelion, knotweed, and cactus in the wild. Their diet also includes several fruits like plums, apricots, figs, pears, cherries, blackberries, and strawberries.
At feeders, these birds prefer black oil sunflower seeds. Occasionally, they also eat small insects like aphids. Parent birds might feed insects to their nestlings for extra protein.
During courtship, the male regurgitates his food and feeds the female. The females flutter their wings and poke the male’s beak, mimicking a hungry chick. The female chooses a male having the brightest red color on his head.
Mating
Habitat
The breeding habitats of house finches differ from rocky areas, cactus, and buildings to coniferous and deciduous forests. They might even use a vacated nest of another bird.
Their cup-shaped nests are made of numerous materials like roots, twigs, wool, and feathers.
Females lay 2-6 eggs per season, with 2-3 seasons possible in a year.
The eggs are pale white or blue in color with black or light purple marks. The incubation period is almost 14 days.
Nesting
While female incubates the eggs, the male feeds her and continues this for chicks when born.
These chicks are born pink and naked with little white line of feathers and eyes shut.
They stay around the nest for 2-3 weeks. They may be fed by their father even after that.
Cassin’s Finch and Purple Finch have plump bodies while House Finches have slimmer bodies.
The stubby and curved bill of a House Finch is one of its characteristic features.
House Finch vs Purple Finch vs Cassin’s Finch
The color of a male House Finch can differ from yellow to orange to red, while the other two have shades of red only.
A House Finch has a smooth crown while the others have a peaked crown.
Lifespan
The oldest House Finch recorded was a 11 years & 7 months old female. Although, these birds might not always live for so many years.