Lesser Goldfinch

Western Lesser Goldfinch 

(Carduelistristis)

Photographed in the wild, Dana Point, California    Nov 2008

The Lesser Goldfinch is a small, seed-eating finch of the Southwest. It comes in two forms: a dark-backed one in Texas, and the greenish-backed one farther westward into California.

The eastern Male Lesser Goldfinches in the United States tend to have black backs and napes. Those found to the west have green backs and only a black cap. South of central Mexico, all the males are black-backed.

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Amer Goldfinch

American Goldfinch 

(Carduelistristis)

Photographed in the wild, Toronto, Canada   Apr 2006

The male Goldfinch easily recognized in the summer by its yellow body and black wings but they lose much of the brilliance during the fall and winter seasons. They turn light brown and look like the female Goldfinches.

The American Goldfinch is one of the latest nesting birds. It usually does not start until late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding. The late timing may be related to the availability of suitable nesting materials and seeds for feeding young.

They fly in an undulating (wavy, up and down) manner. Goldfinches can be found throughout the year, but during the winter they're common to bird feeders. Goldfinches like thistle seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, and oil-type sunflower seeds and Niger seeds.

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Zebra Finch,

Zebra Finch 

Taeniopygia guttata castanotis

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Canada  Feb 2012

The Zebra Finch, is the most common and familiar finch of Central Australia and ranges over most of the continent, avoiding only the cool moist south and the tropical far north.

The Zebra Finch breeds after substantial rains in its native habitat, which can occur at any time of the year. Birds in captivity are ready to breed year-round. Wild birds are adaptable and varied in their nesting habits, with nests being found in cavities, scrub, low trees, bushes, on the ground, in termite hills, rabbit burrows, nests of other birds, and in the cracks, crevices, and ledges of human structures. Outside of the breeding time, brood nests are constructed for sleeping in.

Male Zebra Finches begin to sing at puberty while females lack a singing ability. This is due to a developmental difference, where in the embryo, the male Zebra Finch produces estrogen, which is transformed into a testosterone-like hormone in the brain, which in turn leads to the nervous development of a song system.

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White Zebra Finch

White Zebra Finch 

Taeniopygia guttata castanotis

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Canada  Feb 2012

The White Zebra was one of the earliest mutations to occur in captivity. Males have a dark red beak, females retain an orange beak. The eye color can vary from being dark brown to reddish brown. This difference in eye color of Whites reflects the ancestry of the White. For example, Whites with dark brown eyes are likely descendants of a Grey lineage, whereas Whites with reddish brown eyes are descendants from a Fawn lineage.

Also of an ivory or white body color is the Chestnut Flanked White (CFW) zebra finch mutation. Males of this type have a breast bar, cheek patches and flanking, which looks diluted in comparison to normal. Females are white with a black tear drop mark, and young birds emerge white with black beaks.

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St Lucia Black

St Lucia Black Finch 

Melanospiza richardsoni

Photographed is the wild, Island of St Lucia Apr 2012

This species qualifies as endangered because it has a very small population; suitable habitat is declining through clearance for agriculture and introduced predators are also reducing numbers

This finch is a small, black to brown finch with a, black bill. Males are entirely black with pink legs and the Females are brown above with contrasting grey crown and buffy below.

Endemic to the Island of St Lucia in the Lesser Antilles, where it is most numerous in the mountains. Surveys in 1987 failed to find any large populations and noted that much apparently suitable habitat was unoccupied, although due to its broad habitat tolerance its range is probably not severely fragmented.

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Saffron Finch

Saffron Finch 

Sicalis flaveola

Photographed in the wild, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii  Mar 2014

The Saffron Finch is a Tanager and an immigrant of South America. It was introduced in the 1960's and common to Kona coast on the big island of Hawaii.  They are mostly yellow with varying amount of orange on the fore crown of the males. Females are duller in colour.

They are common in dry forest areas and gregarious forming large post breeding flocks sometimes in the hundreds. They forge on the ground for seeds and insects will visit feeders. They nest in cavities of trees and will lay 2-3 eggs a year. The female incubates the eggs and the male guards the nest.

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Red-Headed Parrotfinch

Red-headed Parrot Finch 

Erythrura psittacea

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Canada   Feb 2012

Red-headed Parrot Finches reach a size of 4.5" (12 cm). Their bodies are a bright glossy green and they have a bright red head, throat, and upper breast. The bill is black, and the legs and feet are gray. The female is similar to the male, though they sometimes have more muted coloring and the red on the face is smaller and lighter than on the male. Juveniles are dull green in color and have a dull red tail.

Red-headed Parrot Finches are native to the Pacific Island, New Caledonia which is 800 miles off the east coast of Australia and north of New Zealand. 

These finches love water and bathing is an important part of their daily grooming. Another characteristic of the parrot finches is their almost semi-nocturnal nature. They are always last to roost at night, and can be seen still on the food station or darting around the aviary when it is getting dark. They are also the first to stir in the morning. 

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Verdin

Verdin

(Auriparusflaviceps)

Photographed in the wild,

Phoenix, Arizona   Mar 2009

Tucson, Arizona    Mar 2010

A tiny, active songbird of the south-western United States and Northern Mexico, the Verdin is the only North American member of the penduline-tit family (Remizidae). Vocal and often conspicuous despite its size, it builds a large enclosed nest in thorny scrub.

The Verdin builds nests for both breeding and roosting; roosting nests are built all year round and much smaller. The outer stick shell is constructed mostly by the male, while the female does most of the lining. One pair of Verdins in Arizona was observed building 11 nests in one year.

During the heat of the desert summer, the Verdin rests quietly in the shaded interior of a shrub, sometimes panting or spreading its wings. Nests built in summer open toward prevailing winds, perhaps to aid in cooling.

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African Silverbill

African Silverbill

Lonchura malabarica

Photographed in the wild,

Kahala, on  Big Island Hawaii     Mar 2014

The African Silverbill is relatively common in many areas in the Hawaiian Islands, particularly on Maui and the Big Island. The African Silverbill was imported, date unknown but first recorded in the early 1970's to Hawaii and is found throughout the Islands. The first recorded sighting of them was in the 1970's. African Silverbills were mainly kept as a caged pet outside of their native African environment and the ones found in Hawaii may have escaped or were abandoned pets.

African Silverbills are a small warbler bird with the upper-parts brown, the under-parts white and a long pointed black tail. The bill is a silver-blue and chunky. Both sexes are similar and difficult to distinguish.

The Silverbill prefers dry areas and may nest in kiawe trees and have four to six whitish eggs.

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Redpoll

Common Redpoll 

Carduelis flammea 

Photographed Muskoka, ON, Canada Jan 2008 

The Common Redpoll is an irregular winter visitor as it migrates. Redpolls have red crowns; yellow bill; black feet; notched tails. Males have a crimson breast which gets darker during breeding.

The Redpoll is most commonly found from fall to early spring. They appear in large groups and become so focused on food that they become fearless of people in the winter. Redpolls have throat pouches for temporarily storing seeds and fill up with seeds quickly, then fly away to swallow the seeds in a more protected spot.

Redpolls can endure the cold better than any other songbird so keep the feeders full. They will eat seeds of any kind, but seem to like nyjer seeds.

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Finches

Finch Varriations

              Gouldian                     House(red)                     House (Orange)              Red-Headed Parrot  

   Saffron                   St Lucia Black                         White Zebra                           Zebra 

Goldfinches

              American                                    Western Lesser

 Misc Finches

Common Redpoll                           African Silverbill                                    Verdin

House (Orange) Finch

Orange  House Finch  

(Carpodacusmexicanus)

Photographed in the wild,

Las Vegas Nevada  Mar, 2018

Unlike the  bright red and brown bird common in the cities and suburbs, the Red House Finch comes readily to feeders. The Orange finch is a color variation of this specie.

 The House Finch was originally a bird of the southwest United States and Mexico. The orange color of a male comes from pigments that it gets in its food during molt. The more pigment in the food, the more orange the male is. Females prefer to mate with the most orange male they can find, perhaps assuring that they get a capable male who can find enough food to feed the nestlings. These orange finch were found in Las Vegas Nevada near the mountain hill sides

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House (Red) Finch

Red House Finch 

(Carpodacusmexicanus)

Photographed in the wild,

Dana Point, California      Nov,2008

Kahala, Hawaii     Mar 2014

A bright red and brown-striped bird of the cities and suburbs, the House Finch comes readily to feeders. It also breeds in close association with people, and often chooses a hanging plant in which to put its nest.

 The House Finch was originally a bird of the southwest United States and Mexico. In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, and they quickly started breeding. They spread across the entire eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.

The red color of a male comes from pigments that it gets in its food during molt. The more pigment in the food, the redder the male. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps assuring that they get a capable male who can find enough food to feed the nestlings.

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Gouldian

Gouldian Finch 

(Chloebia gouldiae)

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Canada Feb 2012

Gouldian Finches occur in tropical northern Australia This species appears to be migratory throughout its range, moving more southerly in the rainy season and reappearing in the northern regions for the dry months. Gouldian Finches are apprehensive birds generally evading populated areas.

There are three distinct color variations among the Gouldian Finches: the red-headed, the black-headed, and the yellow-headed. The variations of color are predominantly evident on the heads of the finches. Though these were once thought of as differing species, it is realized now that the variations are clearly linked to color alone. All three-colour variations couple randomly, and are found intermixed in the same geographic areas.

The Gouldian is a hole nester, using termite mounds and hollow trees as sites for their nests. The nest tends to simple with no roof, thin walls and may even be found in tall grasses. The nests are generally near water.

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