House Finches

Anyone who lives within the mountain shadows and has a bird feeder is always treated to many pleasant moments watching the many different kinds of birds come from the shadows to gorge themselves on the bird seed in their feeder.

One of the more interesting birds is the House Finch.

Back in the days of cattle barons in the southwest with ornate ranch houses it was not unusual for them to have caged Finches in their living rooms. The Finches brought canary like songs to break the stillness of the house and then too, added a bit of color to the sparsely furnished house.

The Finches originated in Mexico and spread north all the way to Canada.

In the early forties someone released two Finches on Long Island and in a short span of time they populated the entire east coast.

The Finches in the west began to spread eastward and in a few years time reached the Mississippi.  Meanwhile their eastern brothers had begun to spread westward and the two groups met at the Mississippi.

Today the House Finch can be found in every state.  The male bird has a red cropped head and the female can be recognized by her body length dark stripes against her grey feathers. They often travel about in groups of fifteen to twenty-five and can be recognized by their canary like sounds.

House Finches are just one more of the many things that make living within the mountain shadows an enjoyable experience.

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