House Finch

Female (R) and Male (L) House Finches Photo by Indiana Ivy Nature Photographer on Flickr

Haemorhous mexicanus

You may be asking yourself why I am bothering to write about the House Finch. They aren’t rare; in fact, they may be the most common backyard bird in North America. But this is exactly why they need to be written about. How can we appreciate nature if we don’t value the species we see most often!

House Finches range across the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico, but this wasn’t always the case! They were sold on the East Coast as caged “Hollywood Finches.” When this was unsuccessful, a small number of finches were released on Long Island in 1940. It didn’t take the birds long to adapt and spread. They have also been introduced in Hawaii. As with most nonnative species, we have humans to thank for their distribution.

The male’s cheerful red color actually comes from pigments in the food they eat. Because of this, their colors can vary to more orange or yellow. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male. Score one for the red heads!

House Finches are seed eaters, but the parents feed their young only plant matter.  This is a rare occurrence in the animal world. The adults prefer small, black oil sunflower seeds if you are filling your feeder.

We saw many House Finch babies at California Wildlife Center. Animal care staff had to check the babies’ crops to see if they were full because they would just keep eating! The hatchlings are altricial, meaning they are born with their eyes closed and without feathers. The alternative is precocial – think baby chickens and ducks, that emerge fully feathered and ready to go.

As they mature, the House Finch chicks will grow feathers and become fledglings. They will leave the nest before they are ready to fly and learn to fly from the ground up. Don’t worry! Mom and Dad are still keeping an eye on them and feeding them. If you find a fledgling bird on the ground, meaning a young bird who can stand/hop around and with most of their feathers, leave them alone. This is a naturally occurring part of their development. If they are in a dangerous place like the middle of the street, you can move them out of the street to under the nearest bush, but don’t take them too far. If you watch from a distance, you will likely see Mom or Dad stop by for a feeding.
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I personally love HOFIs (the four-letter banding code given to House Finches). I still smile when I hear their cheerful call, see the male’s striking red head, or, best yet, hear the tiny cheeps of baby finches. I hope I never tire of these “common” yet extraordinary birds. 

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