Minnesota Seasons - House Finch

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy


Conservation Status
IUCN Red List	LC - Least Concern
NatureServe	N5 - Secure SNA - Not applicable
Minnesota	not listed

Description

The male has a bright red “eyebrow” line and a brown cap. The back is streaked brown. The flanks, belly, and undertail coverts are heavily streaked.

Size

5″ to 6″ in length

9½″ wingspan

Voice

Similar Species

Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) male has a burgundy-red cap. The back is streaked brown and red. The flanks, belly, and undertail coverts are whitish and unstreaked.

Habitat

Urban and suburban areas, rural areas with buildings and lawns.

Ecology

Migration

Nesting

Food

Distribution

Nativity

Mexico and the southwestern United States

Occurrence

Widespread and common year-round resident except in the northeast, where it is uncommon to rare year-round resident

House Finch is native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. In the early twentieth century it was captured and sold illegally in eastern pet stores as the “Hollywood Finch", named for its striking good looks. In the 1940’s New York began to enforce existing songbird regulations, and pet store owners released their House Finches to avoid prosecution. The birds adapted well to their new environment and spread rapidly, displacing the native Purple Finch. By 1968 they were common in the east from Cape Cod to the Virginia Tidewater Region. Today their range covers every state in the lower 48 and the southern tier of every Canadian border province. In Minnesota they are common in all but a handful of northern counties, where they are present but in small numbers.

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map


Taxonomy
Class	Aves (birds)
Order	Passeriformes (perching birds)
Family	Fringillidae (finches, euphonias, and allies)
Subfamily	Carduelinae
Genus	Haemorhous (American rosefinches)

This bird was formerly placed with the Old World finches in the genus Carpodacus.

Subordinate Taxa
Central Mexican House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus mexicanus) Guadalupe House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus amplus) Guanajuato House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus centralis) Guerrero House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus griscomi) Northern House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus frontalis) Oaxaca House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus roseipectus) San Clemente House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus clementis) San Lucas House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus ruberrimus) San Luis House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus potosinus) Sinaloa House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus rhodopnus) Southwest Mexican House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus coccineus)

Synonyms
Carpodacus mexicanus


Visitor Photos

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Gregory Gilman

House Finch

The House Finch


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera

Slideshows

House Finch
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

House Finch
JMC Nature Photos

House Finch
jt893x

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

House Finch (Fringillidae: Haemorhous mexicanus)
Carl Barrentine

About

Uploaded on Jul 6, 2009

Photographed at East Grand Forks, Minnesota (06 July 2009).

House Finch - HD Mini-Documentary
James Knott

About

Uploaded on Feb 18, 2009

Mini-documentary about the House Finch of North America.

House Finch Family Dinner
jimbolavirus

About

Uploaded on Jul 20, 2009

Kitchener Southern Ontario Canada

July 19 2009 Video of Nesting House Finch.

Eggs hatched on July 18 2009

Finches took over abandoned Robin's nest on top of side door light.

House finch (male) with spring song
Nat Bel

About

Uploaded on Feb 14, 2011

House finch (male) is singing on the feeder. Mating season is about to start. Finally, female house finch is answering him, you can hear it.

https://sites.google.com/site/backyardbirdbathwildnature/backyard-birds---photos

San Francisco Bay Area.

Camcorder


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