House Finch

The House Finch is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This species and the other American rosefinches are usually placed in the rosefinch genus Carpodacus. It has been proposed to place them in a distinct genus Burrica, but the American Ornithologists Union rejected a proposal to do so in 2008.

The House Finch is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are usually placed in the rosefinch genus Carpodacus. It has been proposed to place them in a distinct genus Burrica, but the American Ornithologists Union rejected a proposal to do so in 2008. More

The House Finch is a recent introduction from western into eastern North America (and Hawaii), but it has received a warmer reception than other arrivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow. That’s partly due to the cheerful red head and breast of males, and to the bird’s long, twittering song, which can now be heard in most of the neighborhoods of the continent. If you haven’t seen one recently, chances are you can find one at the next bird feeder you come across. More

The House Finch currently has a rating of Least Concern. This is a downgraded rating from a 2000 rating of Lower Risk. At this time there are no immediate concerns or threats regarding this bird species due to the fact that both the population and the range of this bird are large enough for there to be no concerns regarding decline. The House Finch has a range of nearly 8 million square kilometers. More

North American RangeThe House Finch is closely related to the Cassin's Finch and the Purple Finch, and in fact, there are places in Washington where all three species can be found. All three species are streaked, and the males of all three have red plumage. The House Finch, the most common and widespread of the three, typically has a red head, breast, and rump, but does not have red coloring on its brown back or wings. This helps to differentiate it from the other two. More

The House Finch, or Linnet, is originally a species of the Western USA and Mexico. In 1940, wild birds illegally sold as "Hollywood Finches" in New York were released in that city by dealers anxious to avoid prosecution. In 1943, these released birds were reported breeding in the New York area. By 1971, breeding populations extended along the east coast from New England to North Carolina. Their populations continued to expand westward. Reports of these birds in Indiana were sporadic in the mid 1970's. More

The House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) aka Mexican House Finch is a medium-sized finch, averaging 13-14 cm (5-6 in) in length. Adults have a long brown tail and are a brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep grey on the wing feathers. Breast and belly feathers may be streaked. In most cases, adult males have a reddish color to their heads, necks and shoulders. This color sometimes extends to the stomach and down the back, between the wings. More

Island, New York, in the 1940s, the house finch population quickly became established in the east and today the total North American population is estimated to be as high as one billion birds. More

America, the House Finch Disease Survey has been collecting data on the spread and prevalence of a bacterial disease that now affects House Finches from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts. These data have been invaluable for documenting the spread of the disease and have motivating research that seeks to understand the reasons for persistence of the disease as well as its longer-term impact on House Finch abundance. More

House FinchThe House Finch is a social songbird usually found in small flocks. It is originally a species of western USA and Mexico until it was released in New York in 1940. Today, this species is common in Indiana and much of the USA and southern Canada. A House Finch is a slender, sparrow-sized bird around 5 to 5.75 inches long with short, stubby convex bill and square-tipped tail. The male has red crown, chest and rump. Its back, wings and tail are brown. More

The female House Finch lacks the strong facial pattern of Purple Finch females. The underparts are dull white with longer, less sharply-defined streaks; The feathers under the tail have broad, dark streaks. Female Purple Finches have a bold face pattern with a bright white eyebrow, a dark cheek patch, and a white stripe at the bottom of the cheek, giving the face a striped appearance. The underparts show heavy, broad streaks. More

Before 1936, the male House Finch was kept in pet stores and sold as "Hollywood Finches," because of it's plumage and pleasant songs. Released into the wild, North American bird watchers now enjoy watching this bird at their feeders. Description - The male House Finch has a length of about 5 1/2 inches, with red on the head, upper breast and flanks. In some regions the color red may be replaced with yellow or orange. More

The House Finch is an abundant bird often associated closely with human habitation. Although the native western population occurs in a wide variety of habitats ranging from undisturbed desert to chaparral and open coniferous forests to cities, range expansions have been made possible by man's changes to the environment. The House Finch prefers edge habitat, and even in desert areas, these finches require a source of water, as well as structures for perching and nesting. These structures may be small conifers or buildings. More

House Finch in 1993. One of the most notable ornithological events of the twentieth century in North America has been the spread of the House Finch throughout the eastern portion of the continent from a small number of birds liberated on Long Island, New York in 1940. The House Finch is now a common backyard bird throughout most of the contiguous United States and southern Canada. More

The house finch, more familiarly known as the linnet, is a species whose repute varies according to the interests and point of view of those who regard it. To the average city dweller, its domestic tastes, cheerful song, amiable manner, and the bright coloring of the male make it a pleasing adjunct to the dooryard or window sill; but a grower of the softer varieties of fruit who watches flocks of these birds descend like locusts upon his ripening crop finds difficulty in appreciating their esthetic values. More

whereas the upper mandible of the House Finch is curved downward. I have posted photos of the sexes of both species here. They are not as difficult as you may think. BACK TO HOME PAGE......BACK TO WILD BIRDS...... More

The House Finch’s original habitat was Mexico, the American Southwest, and California. They can survive many types of habitats, ranging from the desert up to 6,000 feet in the mountains. They spread into British Columbia and were transplanted to Hawaii. In 1940, cage-bird dealers who were illegally selling California born house finches as 'Hollywood Finches' released them in New York. They quickly spread rapidly inland with the first house finch reported nesting in Michigan in 1981. More

House Finch male has bright red head, forehead, eyebrow, throat, chest and rump. This colour can vary to orange or occasionally yellow. Crown, rear head and back are brown streaked with darker brown. It has brown wings and square tail. Belly and undertail coverts are white, streaked with broad brown stripes. Eyes are black. The horn-coloured bill is short and conical. Legs and feet are dark brown. More