The red house finch is a charming native bird of western North America. Its fame lies in the striking red coloration of the males, playing a crucial role in the bird’s life during mating season. Females are naturally drawn to more vibrantly colored males, an indicator of health and fitness. Though beautiful, the color serves an evolutionary purpose.
Purple finches have much more red on the crown, nape, back, chest, cheeks, and flanks. Small blue finches are now rare in Brazil with around 5,000 still existing in Bolivia. Goldfinches have bright red faces and yellow wing patches. Red-headed woodpeckers were once common in eastern North America but have been decreasing and surveys show this trend continuing.
Male finch beaks are brighter and more orange than females. Male house finches lack the purple finch’s stripes, instead having streaks on the breast and sides. Finches have bolder yellow and red plumage than sparrows and prefer finer seeds.
There are 50 genera and 233 finch species. The mangrove finch is considered the rarest Darwin’s finch, key to studying speciation and conservation. Three goldfinch species live in the United States. The Evening Grosbeak finch is large with a streaky brown back, belly, and tail. The red rump is conspicuous.
Seeing finches generally symbolizes liveliness, exuberance, and bright days ahead. Their vibrant plumage and cheerful songs are considered good omens. Though house finches are common in North America, the red ones stand out as special sights in gardens and backyards.
How to tell the difference between a Purple Finch and a red finch?
The male Purple Finch is reddish-purple. The House Finch male is reddish-orange. The House Finch has streaking on the breast and sides. Purple Finches are slightly larger than House Finches. Purple Finches have a wingspan up to 10 inches. House Finches have a wingspan up to 9.5 inches.
Although their ranges overlap, generally House Finches and Purple Finches prefer different habitats. The Purple Finch common in coniferous forests visits feeders more in winter.
The breast of the Purple Finch has more color extending to the lower breast. This color is more purple than the bright red of the House Finch. Purple Finch males have purple wingbars. House Finch males have white wingbars.
Purple Finches also have more red on the crown, nape, back, chest, cheeks and flanks.
House Finches are generally more common than Purple Finches. Current estimates suggest 40 million House Finches and 6.4 million Purple Finches.
Where are red finches found?
Red finches live in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Their habitat includes deserts, grasslands, savannahs and suburbs. They nest in holes, trees, ledges and shrubs. Adult females are plain brown with thick streaks. House finches collect at feeders and trees. Research shows house finches compete with house sparrows; as house finches increase, house sparrows decrease.
To identify a red finch see their small body, long flat head, large beak and short wings with long tail. The red male has a strawberry red head and chest while the female is dull brown. They are peaceful birds. Appreciate their beauty if you see one.
Are red finches the males?
Male finches vary in color. Gouldian finches have the most colorful plumage. The male house finch has red on its head, breast, and rump. The colorful feathers help attract female mates. American goldfinches lose their bright yellow in fall and regrow it in late winter. Adult male purple finches have rosy red faces and upper breasts with brown backs. Their red rumps are noticeable in flight. Females are plain grayish-brown with thick streaks.
The house finch is common in most of the United States. The purple finch breeds across Canada but winters along the east and west coasts. The Cassin’s finch lives out west. Cassin’s and purple finches rarely overlap. If you see red, it is likely a house finch.
Males use carotenoids from their diet to make the red and yellow colors. The more pigment consumed, the brighter the male. This is why some appear orange or yellow.
Originally from the west, house finches came east in the 1940s. By 2000, they inhabited most of southern Canada and the eastern U.S. The male house finch’s red symbolizes joy and celebration to some Native American tribes.