The House Finch is a common and adaptable bird found across a variety of human-influenced environments, from urban centers to rural farmlands. Their ability to thrive in diverse habitats makes them a familiar sight for many. This article delves into the world of the House Finch, exploring where they live, what they eat, how they reproduce, their typical behaviors, and their conservation status. Learn more at Birds of the World.
Habitat
House Finches are highly associated with human-modified landscapes. They commonly inhabit areas with buildings, lawns, small coniferous trees, and urban environments. In more rural settings, they can also be found near barns and stables. Within their native western range, House Finches also occupy natural habitats such as dry deserts, desert grasslands, chaparral, oak savannas, streamsides, and open coniferous forests, generally below 6,000 feet in elevation.
Diet
The diet of the House Finch consists almost exclusively of plant matter, including seeds, buds, and fruits. Their wild food sources are diverse and can include seeds from wild mustard, knotweed, thistle, as well as mulberries, poison oak, and various cactus species. In agricultural and orchard areas, House Finches are known to consume cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and figs. When visiting feeders, they show a preference for black oil sunflower seeds over larger striped sunflower seeds, and also consume millet and milo.
Nesting
Nest Placement
House Finches are flexible nesters, utilizing a range of locations for their nests. They commonly build in deciduous and coniferous trees, as well as on cacti and rock ledges. Their adaptability extends to man-made structures, where they may nest in or on buildings, utilizing sites like vents, ledges, street lamps, ivy, and hanging planters. On occasion, House Finches will also use the abandoned nests of other bird species.
Nest Description
The nest of a House Finch is a cup-shaped structure constructed from fine materials such as stems, leaves, rootlets, thin twigs, string, wool, and feathers. The lining of the nest is made from similar, but finer, materials. The overall width of a House Finch nest typically ranges from 3 to 7 inches, with the interior cup measuring 1 to 3 inches across and up to 2 inches deep.
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size: 2-6 eggs
- Number of Broods: 1-6 broods per year
- Egg Length: 0.6–0.8 inches (1.6–2.1 cm)
- Egg Width: 0.5–0.6 inches (1.3–1.5 cm)
- Incubation Period: 13–14 days
- Nestling Period: 12–19 days
- Egg Description: Pale blue to white, speckled with fine black and pale purple markings.
- Condition at Hatching: Hatchlings are naked except for sparse white down along feather tracts, with their eyes closed and appearing clumsy.
Behavior
House Finches are highly social birds, and outside of the breeding season, they are seldom seen alone. They often form flocks that can number in the hundreds. Their feeding activities typically occur on the ground, at feeders, or in fruiting trees. When at rest, they commonly perch on the highest available point in a tree, and flocks frequently gather on power lines. During courtship rituals, males may feed females. This display often starts with the female gently pecking at the male’s bill and fluttering her wings. The male will then simulate regurgitating food to the female multiple times before actually feeding her.
Conservation
House Finches are widespread across the United States, parts of Canada, and Mexico. While their overall populations showed a slight decrease between 1966 and 2019 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, they are generally considered a species of low conservation concern. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 40 million. These birds have generally benefited from human development. However, certain populations have experienced a significant decline since January 1994 due to a disease known as mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. This illness causes respiratory problems and severe eye inflammation, making affected birds more vulnerable to predators and harsh weather conditions. House Finch conjunctivitis was first identified in feeders in the Washington, D.C. area and has since spread rapidly through both eastern and western House Finch populations. Learn more here.
Credits
Badyaev, Alexander V., Virginia Belloni and Geoffrey E. Hill. (2012). House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Dunne, P. (2006). Pete Dunne’s essential field guide companion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, USA.
Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye (1988). The Birder’s Handbook. A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds, Including All Species That Regularly Breed North of Mexico. Simon and Schuster Inc., New York, NY, USA.
Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. (2020). Longevity records of North American birds. Version 2020. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2020.
Partners in Flight (2019). Avian Conservation Assessment Database, version 2019.
Sauer, J. R., D. K. Niven, J. E. Hines, D. J. Ziolkowski Jr., K. L. Pardieck, J. E. Fallon, and W. A. Link (2019). The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2019. Version 2.07.2019. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.
