General

House Finch: Medium-sized finch with brown-streaked back and wings, and brown-streaked white underparts. Head, throat, and rump are pink-red. Tail is relatively long and weakly notched. Bill is short and slightly decurved. Female and juvenile are brown with gray streaking overall. All plumages may show yellow wash on head, back, and breast; in adult males, yellow wash sometimes completely replaces red.

Range and Habitat

House Finch: Resident throughout the west, from southern Canada to southern Mexico, and east to Nebraska. Introduced to eastern North America, where it is now widespread in cities and residential areas. In the west, preferred habitats include chaparral, deserts, orchards, and suburban areas.

Breeding and Nesting

House Finch: Two to six blue eggs with lavender and black spots at large end are laid in a tightly woven, compact nest set in a bush, thicket, natural cavity, or on a building. Nest is built by the female and is made of twigs, grass, leaves, rootlets, bits of debris, and feathers. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

House Finch: Eats mostly seeds, including those from thistle, dandelion, sunflower, and mistletoe, but also buds and fruits; forages on the ground.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit, Commercial Mixed Bird Seed

Vocalization

House Finch: Song is an extensive series of warbling notes ending in "zeee", canary-like but without the musical trills and rolls.

Similar Species

House Finch: Cassin's and Purple finches have streaks on breasts, shorter, notched tails, and different calls. Other female finches have streaked faces and shorter, notched tails.