Back to Birdhouse Guide
Haemorhous mexicanus
Small streaky finch where the male's head and breast wash with red, orange, or yellow depending on what he ate while molting. Originally a western bird, now coast-to-coast after a 1940s pet-trade release.
Widespread and abundant; no known immediate threats to the population.
House Finches were originally a southwestern bird; the eastern population descends from a few caged birds released in New York in 1940.
Male House Finches' red comes from their diet. Males that eat carotenoid-rich foods turn brilliant red, while poorly-fed males stay drab orange or yellow.
Females reportedly prefer redder males, making bright color a real signal of fitness.
House Finches are some of the easiest feeder birds to attract, sunflower seeds and water are usually all it takes.
Black-oil sunflower, safflower, and especially sunflower hearts. Nyjer (thistle) in a sock feeder also draws them.
They love nesting in hanging baskets, building ledges, and dense shrubs. The open shelf works under a covered porch or pergola.
Conifers (any kind), dense ornamental shrubs, ivy on walls. They'll nest in almost any sheltered structure.
A simple bird bath. They drink and bathe daily.
Watch for House Finch Eye Disease (mycoplasmal conjunctivitis), clean feeders weekly with a dilute bleach solution.
Don't disturb hanging plants once a House Finch has started a nest. They're devoted, and the nest is usually surprisingly out of view.
Originally a southwestern desert bird; now one of the most abundant urban species in North America, with separate Western and Eastern populations.
Year-round throughout California, the Southwest, the Mountain West, and into the southern Great Plains.
Now resident throughout the eastern half of the continent after spreading from a 1940 release in New York.
Resident throughout, where they originated.
Urban and suburban landscapes. They thrive in human-built environments. Building ledges, hanging plants, conifers, and shrubs all serve as nest sites.
No entrance hole, no front wall, just a sheltered ledge. Includes drainage and the integrated mounting tab.
Originally a western species. The eastern population is descended from a 1940s release of caged birds in New York. Now one of the most common feeder birds in North America.