Scientific Name:   Haemorhous mexicanus

Length:   5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)

Weight:   0.6-0.9 oz (16-27 g)

Wingspan:   7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)

Nest:   Nests are made in cavities, including openings in buildings, hanging plants, and other cup-shaped outdoor decorations. Sometimes nests abandoned by other birds are used. Nests may be re-used for subsequent broods or in following years. It is well made of twigs and debris, forming a cup shape, usually 5 ft 11 in to 8 ft 10 in above the ground.

Eggs:   4-5, sometimes 2-6. Pale blue, with black and lavender dots mostly at larger end. Incubation is by female, about 13-14 days.

Feeding Behavior:   House Finches are social birds that collect at feeders or perch high in nearby trees. When they’re not at feeders, they feed on the ground, on weed stalks, or in trees. They will frequent feeders for seeds, especially sunflower seeds, and to hummingbird feeders for sugar-water.

Young:   Both parents feed nestlings. Young leave the nest about 12-15 days after hatching. Up to 3 broods per year, perhaps sometimes more

Range:   They are found year-round in all parts of the United States and most of Mexico, with some residing near the border of Canada. House finches are mainly permanent residents throughout their range, some birds migrate to the south, with adult females moving longer distances than males.

Brief Description:   Adult males are rosy red around the face and upper breast, with streaky brown back, belly and tail. In flight, the red rump is conspicuous. Adult females aren’t red; they are plain grayish-brown with thick, blurry streaks and an indistinctly marked face. The colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red.