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Finch Identification
American Goldfinch, House Finch, and other members of this
species.
The American Goldfinch is beloved by birders for its intense yellow color. This year,
we were visited by a flock of Goldfinches so huge that our entire patio was like
one huge patch of sunshine. Being migratory birds, bird watchers must enjoy their
Goldfinches while they can. These birds lay three to six pale blue eggs in a cup
built of grass, plant materials, and bark set in a tree or bush.
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The other well-known bird which goes by the name of Finch is the House Finch. It
comes from a different family of birds, and its Latin name is Carpodacus mexicanus.
The male is a shiny red on the crown and breast, and dull brown on its wings and
back. The female is plain. Where we live, bird watching for House Finches is practically
year-round. The House Finch is widespread throughout the western United States, and
it inhabits coastal valleys, deserts, and orchards. It lays three to five bluish,
spotted or streaked eggs in a tightly woven nest. The remarkable thing about the
nesting habits of the House Finch is that they will as happily build their home in
the eaves of a house or holes in buildings as they will in a tree top. A Finch bird
house can be made out of a simple strawberry basket stuck in the eaves of a house.
House Finches are very sociable birds and an excellent subject for bird watching.
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Get to Know Your Finches
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American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis | 4 ½" - 5 ½"
Don’t get me wrong - warblers are beautiful little birds, but when I long to
see a brilliantly yellow percher, it’s the American Goldfinch I’m raising my
birding binoculars in search of. Read Article »
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Lesser Goldfinch | Carduelis psaltria | 3 ½" - 4 ½"
No bird that I know of has a sweeter song. The high, musical squeaks and whistles
of the Lesser Goldfinch have been warbling through the air for
months and they go straight to my heart with their tiny, liquid, sweet-as-sugar
sound. Read Article »
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House Finch | Carpodacus mexicanus | 6"
House Finches build their nests in the eaves of buildings or in trees, and their
warbling, liquid song is a constant around the bird feeder. Despite their
familiarity, however, House Finches can pose a puzzle for beginning birders who
catch sight of a bird with an extreme amount of red on its head and chest. Read Article »
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Purple Finch | Carpodacus purpureus | 6"
The best description I’ve heard of the Purple Finch is that he looks 'dipped in
strawberry'. From head to tail, he is an irridescent magenta color that simply
glows. He is enchanting, and I instantly knew I was NOT looking at a House Finch
when I saw him perched amid the branches of a leafy, green tree. Read Article »
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- Read the Latest News from the Birding Sonoma County Blog -
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Tomales Bay State Park Closure - One Upset Birder
January 22, 2008, Point Reyes, CA
Governor Schwarzenegger is planning to close our beautiful, sacred Tomales Bay State Park
in Marin County along with 42 other desperately-needed and exuberantly cherished state
parks throughout California. Closing all of these wonderful parks would not even take us
1% in the direction of being back in the black. And think of what will have been lost. Read Article »
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Bay Area Oil Spill A Disaster For Birds
November 11, 2007, Kenwood, CA
When the Cosco Busan crashed into the Bay Bridge, every birder I know immediately thought
of what this disaster would mean for the birds. In addition to our beloved birds, whales
will be swimming through the oil, as will seals, sea lions and other marine mammals. West
Marin is one of my favorite places on earth, and to see it thus spoiled fills me with
sorrow and anger. Read Article »
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Bewick's Wren - A hidden Bay Area bird worth seeking!
October 7, 2007, Glen Ellen, CA
Today, we'll turn our gaze on Bewick's Wren, Thryomanes bewickii, one of the larger
SF Bay Area Wrens. Bewick's Wren, like most wrens, will instantly strike you as being
'all-tail'. Identification clue number one for wrens is that they tend to hold their tails
up-turned, as if in proud of their lovely plumes. Read Article »
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The White-crowned Sparrow has returned!
September 24, 2007, Kenwood, CA
This trusty little bird disappeared when the weather heated up, early in the year, heading
north to cooler Canada. Just this afternoon, my husband called me to the window excitedly.
There, at the foot of the photinia hedge, a lone White-crowned Sparrow was hopping humbly
through the green grass. Read Article »
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