Cassin's Finch

Carpodacus cassiniiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)

Codes: Common Name: CAFI Scientific Name: CARCAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179190

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Mountains

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Semicolonial

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

Blue green with brown and black spots

Number of Eggs:

4 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Twigs, reeds, rootlets, and strips of bark with lining of fibers, soft grass, and hair.

Migration:

Northern birds migrate

General

Cassin's Finch: Medium-sized, cheery finch with bright red crown and brown-streaked back. Belly is white and neck, upper breast, and rump are buff. Bill tapers evenly to a sharp point. Female has crisp brown streaks over entire body and no red hues.

Range and Habitat

Cassin's Finch: Breeds from southwestern Canada south to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico; visits lowlands during winter. Preferred habitats include open conifer stands at high elevations.

Breeding and Nesting

Cassin's Finch: Four or six blue green eggs with brown and black spots are laid in a cup nest made of twigs and rootlets, usually built in a conifer. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Cassin's Finch: Feeds on seeds and buds, especially those from conifers, and fruits; also eats insects during summer.

Readily Eats

Peanuts, Suet, Millet, Fruit, Sunflower Seeds (hulled)

Vocalization

Cassin's Finch: Song is a series of warbles. Call note, a high "pwee-de-lip", is diagnostic.

Similar Species

Cassin's Finch: House Finch has streaked underparts, less purple on head, longer tail, and different call notes. Purple Finch has unstreaked undertail coverts and smaller bill. Pine Siskin is similar to female, but is smaller and lacks face pattern.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Cassin's Finch

Cassin's Finch: Medium-sized, cheery finch with bright red crown, brown-streaked back. White belly, buff neck,upper breast and rump. Bill tapers evenly to a sharp point. Forages on ground and high in trees, eats mostly conifer seeds and buds, some insects. Swift bounding flight on rapid wing beats.

● Song: "cheep, cheep, cheep", "kee-up", "pwee-ee-lip"

● Foraging & Feeding: Cassin's Finch: Feeds on seeds and buds, especially those from conifers, and fruits; also eats insects during summer.

● Breeding & nesting: Cassin's Finch: Four or six blue green eggs with brown and black spots are laid in a cup nest made of twigs and rootlets, usually built in a conifer. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Cassin's Finch: House Finch has streaked underparts, less purple on head, longer tail, and different call notes. Purple Finch has unstreaked undertail coverts and smaller bill. Pine Siskin is similar to female, but is smaller and lacks face pattern.

Flight Pattern

Swift bounding flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Cassin's Finch: Breeds from southwestern Canada south to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico; visits lowlands during winter. Preferred habitats include open conifer stands at high elevations.

^BreedingMonogamous, Semicolonial

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationNorthern birds migrate

^Weight0.9 Ounces

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Cassin's Finch

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Cassin's Finch

Flight Pattern