Library #16 · A Backyard · Wave 2

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus · Fringillidae

Males wear raspberry-red on head and breast; a backyard singer.

At a glance

Size: 5–6 in
Wingspan: 8–10 in
Habitat: Cities, suburbs, farms, feeders
Diet: Seeds, buds, fruits

Range: Nearly continent-wide after eastern introduction

Nesting: Cup nest in a cavity-like spot on buildings or dense plantings.

Coloring pose idea: Male on tube feeder perch

Hear this bird

General call / song: Queet flight note; lively warbling song.

Mating / display: Pair / courtship recordings are linked below when Audubon labels them. Original note — Male sings near the female and nest site; redder males often preferred.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide Mating / courtship calls

How to know it

Male: red/orange on face, breast, rump; streaky brown sides.
Female: plain brown and heavily streaked, no red.
Notched tail; conical bill.

Behavior

Nests on building ledges, hanging planters, and wreaths.
Cheerful warbling song from rooftops.
Native to the West; established in the East from released cage birds.

Fun facts

Red color intensity comes from diet carotenoids.
One of the most common feeder birds in North America.
Eye disease affected eastern birds; recovery ongoing.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.