Guess Who’s Back… House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

February 12th, 2015. I was enjoying watching (and photographing) a… 

male Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) at the sunflower seed feeder yesterday morning. I’ve been thinking recently that it wouldn’t be too long before they left for their breeding grounds in Canada and we’d see the House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) back at the feeders. Although House Finches may winter here, we don’t see them at the feeders during winter; we didn’t see the first one at the feeders until late April last year.
 

Then, an hour or so later, I noticed what I thought at first was also a male Purple Finch. It took a couple of seconds to realize that the red color was a little richer - a scarlet red – compared with the raspberry red of the Purple Finch. Lo and behold, it was a… 

Male House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). 

I wonder if ‘our’ House Finches do migrate a little further south during the winter or if they are able to find enough food in the woods. I tend to doubt that they would stay away from the feeders if they are in the area. Last year, at least three pairs of House Finches nested in this area. They, and their offspring, almost ate us out of house and home during September and early October and then they suddenly disappeared during the third week of October. Thus, I’m inclined to think the House Finches that nest in our area may move away for the winter. 

In any case, it’s wonderful to see one again. I’ll be looking for the females as well.

Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus): Welcome Back!… And All Your Kids Too!

February 2^nd, 2015. We first saw the Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus) this season on November 18^th, 2014. 

Just a couple of males turned up at the sunflower seed feeder during a couple of particularly cold days.

I’d never seen a female Purple Finch. The problem with sighting ‘female’ Purple Finches is that they are indistinguishable from juvenile Purple Finches. On December 10^th, 2014, a female/juvenile visited the sunflower feeder with a male. 

Then I’d see the female/juveniles come to the sunflower feeder alone, or…

in twos, or… 

more. There are five female/juveniles and a male in this photo (and also an American Goldfinch). 

The Purple Finches seem to be more numerous this year than in previous years. I’ve seen as many as eight female/juveniles on the feeder at one time and a total of 11 female/juveniles at one time either on the feeder or on the ground. The maximum number of males I’ve seen in the feeding area is six. Purple Finches tend to visit the feeding area in larger numbers on windy days than on calmer days. 

The Purple Finches are generally peaceful although I’ve seen the occasional squabble when there are a lot of birds competing for a perch at the feeder. They will sit at the feeder and eat for a considerable period of time. 

They will also ‘share’ the feeder with other birds: with a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis); and with a female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).

It is encouraging to see so many Purple Finches this season.

Reference:  

- National Geographic: Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) 

Related post:  

- They're Back… Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus)

They're Back… Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus)

November 18th, 2014. Last Fall-Winter, we didn’t see the Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus) until January 4^th this year and then we saw them intermittently until March 4^th when they probably left for their breeding grounds up North. 

We had a particularly cold couple of nights in mid-November and, lo and behold, two males turned up at the sunflower seed feeder. They’ve come back again each time it’s been particularly cold. I suspect that they’ve been in the woods for a while and only come out so early in the season when they need a little extra nourishment. It’s great to see them again.

 Reference:

- National Geographic: Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)

At The Feeders: Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus/Carpodacus purpureus*)

March 21st, 2014. We installed a tube feeders (one with mixed seed and one with sunflower seed), a platform feeder and two log feeders in mid-December, 2013.

We saw the first Purple Finches on January 4^th this year. We usually see Purple Finches during the Winter. They feed only at the tube feeder filled only with sunflower seeds…

where they routinely fed with the American Goldfinches. 

They ‘eat in,’ sitting at the feeder and discarding the seed hulls.

The Purple Finch is one of two species of finch with red coloring that occur in this area; the other is the House Finch (Haemorhous/Carpodacus mexicanus). The House Finch is resident year-round; the Purple Finch winters in this area and flies north to breed. These species may be confused; a reference web page for differentiating between the two species may be found here. 

We saw at least two Purple finches this year based on seeing them on the feeder at the same time. In previous years, we’ve often seen more than two. The last date we sighted a Purple Finch at the feeder was on March 4^th; they must have started moving north for the Summer. Interestingly, we have never seen a House Finch at our feeders.  

Identification resource: 

All About Birds: Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)  

Related posts: 

- At The Feeders: White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 

- At The Feeders: Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus/Dendroica pinus*)  

- At The Feeders: Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 

- At The Feeders: Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)  

- At The Feeders: Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 

- At The Feeders: Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata/Dendroica coronata*)  

- At The Feeders: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 

- At The Feeders: Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  

- At The Feeders: Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 

- Birds In An Ice Storm  

- American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 

- Snow Day And Hungry Birds