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Cassin's Finch

Carpodacus cassiniiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)
Codes: Common Name: CAFI Scientific Name: CARCAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179190
Near Threatened
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Cassin's Finch
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

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.


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.

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Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"cheep, cheep, cheep", "kee-up", "pwee-ee-lip"

Interesting Facts

 The male Cassin's Finch stays in its female-like plumage during its first breeding season. It sings like an older male and may give the false impression that both sexes sing.

 It craves salt, and is often found visiting mineral deposits on the ground.

 This bird was named after John Cassin, who was a curator at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.

 A group of finches has many collective nouns, including a "charm", "company", and "trembling" of finches.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Kavita Jhunjhunwala

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Range Map for Cassin's Finch

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Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Carpodacus cassinii
Length6 Inches
Wingspan9.75 Inches

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.
Cassin's Finch Body Illustration
● 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
Perching-like BodyX
BellyX
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.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX