House Finches nest on the ground?

16 years ago

Long-time lurker here with a quick question - do house finches nest on the ground? I was wandering around my garden, despairing of ever getting it cleaned up, and saw that one of my favorite plants appeared to be dead (a lovely penstemon - sob!) It appeared to have been choked out by the grass growing 2 feet tall around it. (Ahem - I'm generally not that sloppy of a gardener, but you have to see this grass to believe it! It grows 10 feet per day! Uphill! In its bare feet! ;) )

Moving the grass aside, I saw a beautiful little nest made of grass. It was very neat and well-made, not just cobbled together. Inside was one little bluish green, brown speckled egg. I have yet to catch Mom or Pop nearby, but over the course of the last week, 3 more eggs have been added.

I think it is a house finch nest but never heard of them nesting on the ground. I know the nest is NOT safe as we have stray cats in the area. In fact, would the birds take offense if I set up a fence around the nest to keep cats out as long as the top was left open?

Any info would be appreciated!!

KCC

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Comments (15)

Elly_NJ
16 years ago
There are ground nesting birds, but House finches are not one of them.

I would steer clear of the nest and leave it be; evidently the female chose that spot.

Please also know that each time you visit a nest, you leave a scent trail for mammal predators. Best to keep away and cross fingers!
kitcatclub
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, Elly. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice about avoiding the nest - it's in a busy area! I can definitely leave that particular patch of grass alone, but it's right next to our patio. Hopefully, we won't bother them too much.

So if it's not a House Finch, what else might it be? I'll try to keep an eye on it and see if I can spot the parents. My hubby did when one exploded out of the nest at him, but he didn't get a good look - too busy duck-and-covering! ;)
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birding_nut
16 years ago
Knowing what area of the world you live in and what the habitat is like (urban, rural, farm, forest, etc) will help narrow down the species. Bluish-green eggs with splotches could be a Chipping Sparrow. They don't often nest on the ground, but I have found their nests less than a foot from the ground before. Any info on the area would help.

BN
bbcathy
16 years ago
I have seen Red Winged Blackbirds nest on the ground and that is what their eggs look like. The brown splotches are kind of streaky looking. They would be a little smaller than a Robin's.
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kitcatclub
Original Author
16 years ago
Sorry, BN - I'm in upstate NY, suburban but on the verge of rural. We also have chipping sparrows in our area - they're so cute and I love their songs!

My husband saw the male this morning and says it is a house finch - small, sparrow-like with a reddish head and streaky chest. That does sound right to me - not sure what else it could be!

Thanks, Cathy - we have those in the area, too, but I haven't seen any hanging around.

Any thoughts on protecting the nest? Or should we just leave it alone and let nature take its course?
donald lucius
16 years ago
my sister has tons of birds around her place and many eat off the ground under the seed feeders. she just about gave up on feeding birds cause the stray cats wound lay under her shrubs and bushes and pounce on the birds. She found some green enameled fence at home depot and put 4 green metal fence posts in the ground and wraped the fence around them. it did not take long for the birds to get used to it and the green color was not very noticeable except close up because it blended in with the surrounding plants. she can still fill the seed feeders from a short step ladder. and says she has not lost any birds lately.
lisa11310
16 years ago
I have to say I would enclose the nest area with wire fencing (top too) big enough for the birds to get through but not a cat.
kendra2003
16 years ago
I agree with lisa. Why leave them as dinner for a stray cat? It wouldn't be hard at all to surround that nest with some spare fencing, and if the babies fledge, it would give them some protection when they first leave the nest.
kitcatclub
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, all! I'll try the fencing. We're up to five eggs now!
orchidnana
16 years ago
Every year i have a pair of house finches that nest in my hanging baskets
bandjzmom
16 years ago
Eastern Towhee's nest on the ground. Maybe a Towhee nest?
renee_2006
16 years ago
A Song Sparrow will nest on the ground too. They are small birds.
kitcatclub
Original Author
16 years ago
The eggs have started to hatch - there were 2 little babies yesterday, no bigger than jelly beans. The grass is so tall now that we have trouble finding the nest, so we've been staying away rather than stress out the parents.

Renee, I think you are right that these may be song sparrows. There has been a male hanging around singing his lungs out for a few weeks. Proud Papa!
desperationfalls
16 years ago
Fabulous! It is AMAZING how nature works! Thanks for the update.
calliope
16 years ago
I was going to say song sparrow, but I see renee already nailed that one. We have a lot of ornamental gardens, and my husband was cutting back a huge clump of penstemmon grass, and came to get me when he found a tiny nest with eggs in it. He had already exposed the nest before he noticed it was there. We had seen a song sparrow going in and out of that grass clump earlier, but never guessed it was nesting there about a foot off the ground.