House Finches!

17 years ago

I'm in Atlanta, GA, right in the city in a townhouse development. I hung a bird feeder up this winter. I always get hummingbirds during the summer, but this year I thought I'd try for finches. Today, I had a pair of House Finches! One male, with that beautiful pink-tinted red over his chest and head, and a female that joined him once he decided it was safe. They sat--not fluttered, sat!--and ate and sang for about five minutes! I'm using black oil sunflower seeds in a narrow tube feeder, hung just under the eaves of the roof on my teeny-tiny balcony. Hooray!!!

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Comments (4)

blake1112
17 years ago
Congrats! If you really want to keep the finches around, give them thistle or nyger seed. Every type of finch loves thistle.
janie_may
17 years ago
Hey, I'm your neighbor in Norcross. I have lots of House Finches and while their first choice (here) is black oil they also like nyger/thistle. With the nyger you might attract some Am. Goldfinches, too.
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mine was a plastic tube feeder with plastic perches about 1 1/2 inches long and almost any of the birds were perching on it. I took a hack saw and cut the perches off so they were just over 1/2 inch long. it stopped all the birds except the siskins and finches from perching. Last fall a hungry bear tore the feeder down and broke it, I'll have to buy another next spring. and hang it higher.
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Sounds like a house finch. The winter plumage of the Am. gold finch is more olive than browm with distinct black and white bars. Too, I currently have lots of gold finches and strangely enough, there is one already in full breeding plumage! Donna
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Interesting. I knew Brown headed cowbirds could not be raised by Goldfinches because they feed their young seeds, but I didn't know House Finches did also. I looked it up at Cornell's lab of ornithology, and they confirm what you have read. I guess that means you don't have to worry about the young House Finches. I've also read about retaliation from the Cowbirds, so I guess just leaving it there should protect the baby House Finches best.
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dzyg
17 years ago
Yep I agree, the House Finches here prefer the BOSS but do eat the nyjer too. Goldfinches here seem to prefer the nyjer here but eat the BOSS also. The Purple Finches seem to prefer the BOSS though. Redpolls prefer the nyjer or sunflower hearts. Glad you got some birds you wanted visiting.

Donna
greenjean7bga
17 years ago
Hello, I'm also your neighbor. I live near Cartersville. There have been an abundance of House Finches along with American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins at my BOSS and Nyjer feeders this winter. They seem to travel together. So, it wouldn't surprise me if you also get a visit from them also.

Happy for your success!

Jean
NW GA

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House Finches!

Comments (4)

blake1112

janie_may

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dzyg

greenjean7bga

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