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[title size=”2″]House Finch[/title]

The house finch is part of the broader finch family, fingillidae. These squat birds are a gray-brownish color. The male house finch is a brown color with a sprinkling of bright red over its chest, head and back. Its rounded body ends in a decidedly square-shaped tail. The female house finch is also brown in color. The underbelly of both the male and female house finch is a whitish color with streaks of brown. The female house finch, however, lacks the sprinkling of red on the upper parts of her body. The finch extends about six inches from its head to its squared tail. The house finch’s calls are a sharp tweeting sound that sounds like a “chee-ep.” They sing a long, warbling song with short sharp notes that end in a prolonged note. The house finch’s song is often described as cheery and energetic.

The house finch is a common sight in North American cities and towns, where they often forage for food. Originally native to the Western United States, it was introduced into New York in 1940, and by 1971 it had spread down from New England into North Carolina and beyond. Today it is not uncommon to spot house finches in the Ozark region. The house finch eats insects, seeds, berries, buds and flowers. Its cone-shaped bill is designed to crack open seeds with ease. The house finch builds cup shaped nests in whatever holes or depressions it can find, from trees to rock ledges to building vents. Female house finches usually lay 2 to 6 eggs at a time with an incubation period for two weeks. The young finches mature in two weeks’ time as well.

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Haemorhous mexicanus

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