Species Profile: House Finch

[@dab7963]

I love them and such pretty songs. I especially like the ones with red heads and necks.

[@mzn3namr]

Love house finches as they were the very first visitor when we started feeding our backyard birds & love to listen to their harmonious melodies when they drop by 🥰 Wonderfully detailed and informative video. Their history is fascinating!

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Thank you for tuning in!

[@BBRubyT]

I love House Finches! The males are so striking and the females are super cute!

[@steelmonkey7609]

Yes, I know them well. I have plenty of them at my feeders. The red makes them a very attractive looking bird.

[@Mrs.GrayMan]

Beautiful song birds too!

[@geauxtigers_8458]

Great video, Mark. They do have a beautiful song 🎶

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

They are quite the songsters.

[@frontier2487]

House Finch is my favorite song bird! Thank you for doing a program on it, I've been waiting for you to do it for some time hehe.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Sorry it took so long!

[@divindave6117]

FOr the first time I hung up a bird feeder. For 3 weeks, I never saw a house finch visit. A few days ago, one finally showed up. I guess he told everyone in the neighborhood because I have gaggles of them visiting now.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Word travels fast.

[@Mrs.GrayMan]

Lucky you! I see them along with the American Goldfinch quite often at my feeder.

[@divindave6117]

@@Mrs.GrayMan🙂

[@SPerryfevr]

Thanks Mark! Very informative. 😊.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Thank you for letting me know you liked it!

[@lloydbrannan1002]

I just learned something new and it was the house finch i learned it from. I have a salt lick in the back yard for deer that come. I started to notice all the house finches along with some other birds would fly on it and peck it. Seems they need salt and it also helps with there digestion. Learned something new. I knew birds eat small rocks to grind there food. I didn't know about the eye disease either I have a camera one of the safflower feeders so i will keep an eye out for it. Thanks

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Birds do need various minerals. Cool they have a source.

[@kooale]

Loved it Mark, subscribed. We have as many as 5 or 6 males & 10 females at our black oil sun flower seed feeder daily for the past 20-45 days, so many they actually seem to intimidate &/or ward off the British sparrow that we so discourage on our urban property. We needed to learn about conjunctivitis & best practices, so many thanks. Hope your fans are also tuning in to “Nesthollow” ‘s channel for better bird care practices & understanding.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

@@kooale thank you and welcome to the channel!

[@gloriabond9008]

It's good to know about the safflower. Thanks for all the helpful info...

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

You are welcome. Thanks for tuning in!

[@JLWall27]

Thanks! Great info!

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Glad you liked it!

[@lupemelendez1970]

Thanks so much for this video. The house finches were the first birds which came to my feeders. I did not know they loved safflower. I will definitely offer more of it to them. The problem is hull that is left behind…😢

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

It is not nearly as messy as sunflower hills.

[@CodyH88]

Great stuff, Mark. As I have gotten older I appreciate the native birds so much more. Its truly a shame that so many native birds aren't around in my area. I still to this day never have had a red-headed woodpecker come to a feeder and I've been at it for 20 years now. That's a dream that shouldn't have to be. My personal favorite bird, as well.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Well said! The demise of that bird and many others are directly related to habitat loss and competition from invasive exotic species.

[@CodyH88]

@@MarksBackyardBirds luckily I do see a few around, usually in a woods where they perfer. Just seen one yesterday working in a woodlot. But it's a real shame it's gotten to this point.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

The more urban an area is, the harder it is for them to be able to nest successfully. Starlings run them off.

[@Mrs.GrayMan]

Expect a miracle!

[@kooale]

We had on (in 5 years) visit our suet feeder in the mid spring of this year for 3 days in our urban yard. We'll wish the same for you in the future, that bird was a real shock to see! Gorgeous!

[@deniseaukerman]

Thank you for your instruction, Mark. House finches are the most prevalent in my yard. I always had more trouble distinguishing between female house finches and pine siskins. I have learned the yellow wing feathers tell me when I'm seeing a pine siskin.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Absolutely correct. Siskins also have a much smaller and pointy bill

[@shiningxie1395]

Hello Mate Great information and Video!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. I have been breeding FINCHES for 47years now and have many different types. I only DREAM Of haveing the finches you have Shown. Such BEAUTIFUL BIRDS MATE. Thank you for sharing all your Great STUFF. Well done MATE WELL DONE. 👏👏👏✌✌✌👍 Cheers Andre South Australia.✌🙏🦜🦜🦜🐦🐣🐤🐥🙏🙏🙏👌

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Thank you for tuning in!

[@AndrewJames66]

Great channel thanks for all the help

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

You are most welcome!

[@timk7073]

When I lived in Lansing Michigan, there were only Purple Finches. In Cincinnati, where I live now, there are only House Finches. Such cool little birds

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

They really are. I bet you can have Purples visit in winter now and again.

[@vladpopescu2201]

Just had a nest above the backyard screen door. One of the fledglings had trouble taking flight and was stuck in my backyard for a couple days. I'm hoping it learned to fly but there are gaps in the fence so not 100% on that 🥲 but yea, that's how I ended up here lol

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

He or she probably just needs a few more bugs to strengthen up.

[@scottnichols2450]

Thanks Mark. Love your channel. Have you ever seen a Society Finch? They are increasing in number every year at our feeders here in Southern California. It took us a long time to identify it since apparently they were bred as pets. Beautiful birds with mocha chocolate head and wings, white breast with black spotting. I'm wondering where else they may have been spotted in the wild.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Welcome to the channel! I have not seen a Society Finch. Many escaped finches get reported throughout the country, especially larger cities. They do tend to survive longer southern locations like California, Florida and perhaps south Texas.

[@shelleycharlesworth5177]

GREAT video-! I'm in San Diego I'm caring for a baby house finch that's nest was attacked by a crow. This bird survived and is ok but the other baby birds got killed. My neighbor who works gave him to me 19 days ago when he was about 12 days old. This is day 31 and baby bird is doing well. At first I was feeding him every hour or two for 15 hours a day and keeping him warm and clean in a little box inside a small cage. I think he is about 31 days old today. A week ago I put him in a large budgie cage with seeds and greens which he pecks at and eats a little of-but he still wants to be fed. So I still feed him 8 times day. People on FB said I should have taken it to a bird rehabber. I know it is illegal to keep him but I am afraid he will not survive if I release him now. I read if this bird gets imprinted on me I can't release but must keep as a pet. HOW do the bird rehabbers prevent baby birds from getting imprinted on THEM?

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

For songbirds, the imprinting is not as important as with raptors and larger birds. Songbirds typically fledge within 12 to 15 days of hatching. The adults usually only stay with them of a week or so and they are on their own. I am not a rehaber, but have worked with them many times over the years. The shorter you have the bird, the better. It is illegal to keep them. As some point, you need to let it go and let nature take its course. There should be plenty of House Finches in your area that it can hook up with.

[@shelleycharlesworth5177]

@@MarksBackyardBirds oh thanks for replying....so when should I release him? I said a neighbor gave him to me but she lives a mile away. Does that matter?

[@wesb123]

🐦

[@straightforward]

Now, I'm wondering if I've been misidentifying my finches. I always thought what I was seeing was a purple headed finch...even though it's got a red head. I'm in North East Ohio. I'll have to look at your other videos. Thank you. Mine don't look that red, though. 🤷‍♀ lol

[@straightforward]

Most of whatever red head I have...I usually see them on the ground. But, we have an untreated lawn under the sycamore, too.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Look for the brown stripes along the flanks. Purple Finches do not have them.

[@alyssaknauer8121]

Hi mark! I saw my first ever brown creeper this week. Do you already have a program on them?

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

I do not. That is an excellent bird to put in the queue

[@alyssaknauer8121]

Yay I’m so excited, thank you!!

[@AllenZomberg]

Do these birds use nest boxes? My sister has a couple nesting outside her window and they keep getting stressed every time we pass by. We were thinking of getting them a box so they would be more cozy. Thanks for the video. Great information in under 20 mins.

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Thank you for watching! They do not use traditional nest boxes but they will use a covered platform/shelf type structure like this one tinyurl.com/3j6djhk4

[@AllenZomberg]

@@MarksBackyardBirds Awesome! Thank YOU

[@kooale]

@@MarksBackyardBirds Fantastic link, product & advice. THANKS hombre!

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

@@kooale you are most welcome

[@deniseaukerman]

Hi Mark! There was a video you posted a couple of years ago, and you said you sprayed bird feeders with a 50/50 water and vinegar solution after cleansing them. Is this a great alternative to the bleach and water method to stop the spread of disease?

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Unfortunately it has been proven that it is not as effective as. 10% bleach solution.

[@steelmonkey7609]

Hi Mark, I Sometimes play bird calls from a recording and I have great success with blue jays and carolina wrens. I heard you say you don't like to use recordings. I was wondering why? I don't think you've ever done an episode on different bird calling methods. The other day my wife and I were sitting on the deck and she said she hadn't seen a cardinal in awhile, so I played a recording and sure enough one came around...

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

I have written articles and done Facebook post about it but not a KZbin program. I have pretty strong feelings about the topic. When you use tapes to call in birds, you can be luring them away from their territory or away from their young and nest. The males especially will come to drive off the rival in his territory taking him away from important responsibilities. With patience and focus you can find them without the tapes. They are pretty quiet this time of year.

[@steelmonkey7609]

@MarksBackyardBirds Mark, you have to do an episode on KZbin about this subject, I had no idea the consequences of using the recordings. The same must also apply to ordinary bird callers.

[@kooale]

@@MarksBackyardBirds Right on Mark, it's a bad practice steelmonkey.

[@AndrewJames66]

Nice video

[@AndrewJames66]

Do dark eyed junco‘s like cracked corn

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

They will eat it but it isn’t preferable. Their favorite is millet.

[@AndrewJames66]

@@MarksBackyardBirds do sparrows and blackbirds like millet because I don’t want to feed millet if it’s attracted by black birds and sparrows

[@MarksBackyardBirds]

Yes. Grains like millet and cracked corn attract blackbirds and house sparrows.