The Relocators: House Finches are Crazy!
Kary Boan-Dunham | March 8, 2013It snowed last night – 8 inches. In fact its still snowing. And to say ALL the birds are a little crazy around here would be an understatement. You’d think they hadn’t eaten for days or weeks. But I know they have because I put out food for them every day. But I guess the cold and snow does something to their instinct, because there is a frenetic energy in the air from all the birds that can’t really be described. All I can do is keep putting out bird seed for them.
Anyway, the best way to capture the energy and craziness around here is from a bird feeder attached to a window on the second floor of our house. There are MANY bird feeders around our house. So this isn’t the only one. But the House Finches have laid claim to it and even amongst themselves, its a squabble match to see who’s turn it is to eat.
House Finches can live in flocks of 50 or more. So when you see one, you’ll see many around the feeders and in the trees. The males have the reddish/purple heads. The females are usually fatter and are brown…and seem to wear the pants in the family. They are monogamous so you’ll sometimes see a male and female feeding at the same time. And even though they hang out in large flocks…they do not like their flock-mates eating at the feeder when its their turn.
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