Finches

Fifteen species in the Fringillidae breed regularly in North America, all of them cardueline finches. The most prominent of these are discussed below.

The pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) breeds in conifer-dominated and mixedwood forests across northern North America, and as far south as California and New Mexico. The pine grosbeak is a relatively large, robin-sized finch. Males are a pinkish red color, with black wings, while females are a more cryptic grayish olive. This species has a holarctic distribution, also occurring widely in Europe and Asia, ranging from Scandinavia to Japan.

The purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) breeds in a wide range of coniferous and mixedwood forests, and also in open but treed habitats, such as orchards and regenerating cutovers. The plumage of males is a bright purple-red, especially around the head, while females are a streaked olive in coloration. The purple finch breeds widely across the central regions of North America. Cassin's finch (C. cassinii) is a closely related, similar-looking species of open coniferous forests of the western mountains. The house finch (C. mexicanus) is also a western species, with males being rather rosy in their plumage. In recent decades, the house finch has greatly expanded its range into eastern North America. This process was initiated by introductions of this species to Long Island in 1940, by cagebird dealers who were hoping to establish a local population of house finches to supply the pet trade.

The rosy finch (Leucostricte arctoa) breeds in western North America, from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, south through British Columbia and Alberta to Oregon and Montana. This species breeds in upland, rocky tundras, and then descends in the winter to lowlands with a more moderate climate. The rosy finch will frequent bird feeders in the wintertime.

The crossbills (Loxia spp.) are interesting finches, with unique mandibles that cross at their rather elongated tips. This unusual bill is very effective at prying apart the scales of conifer cones, particularly those of species of pines, to extract the nutritious seeds that are contained inside. The red crossbill (L. curvirostra) ranges very widely, breeding in coniferous forests in North America, A large ground finch (Geospiza magnirostris) on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands. Photograph by Tim Davis. Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.
across Europe and Asia, in North Africa, even in montane forests in the Philippines. The white-winged crossbill (L. leucoptera) occurs in more-open coniferous and mixedwood forests, and it also breeds widely across North America and in Eurasia. Males of both species of crossbills are red colored, with black wings, while females are a dark olive-gray.

The crossbills are also interesting in that they are irruptive breeders and will attempt to nest at almost any time of year, as long as there is a good, local supply of conifer seeds. Northern populations will even breed in the wintertime. Crossbills are great wanderers and can show up unpredictably in large numbers in years when their food is locally abundant, and then disappear for several years, breeding elsewhere until the local crop of pine cones increases again.

The common redpoll (Carduelis flammea) breeds in coniferous boreal forests and high-shrub tundras of northern Canada, and in similar habitats in northern Europe and Asia. The hoary redpoll (C. hornemanni) breeds further to the north in more sparsely vegetated tundras, also in both North America and Eurasia. The hoary redpoll breeds as far north on land as is possible in North America, at the very tip of Ellesmere Island. The pine siskin (C. tristis) breeds further to the south in coniferous and mixedwood forests, as far south as the highlands of Guatemala in Central America.

The American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), sometimes known as the wild canary, is a familiar species that breeds widely in North America. The usual habitat is in disturbed situations, such as regenerating burns and cutovers, weedy fields, and shrubby gardens. Male American goldfinches are brightly colored with a yellow-and-black pattern, while females are a paler, olive-yellow. This species is rather partial to the seeds of thistles, which are herbaceous plants that tend to fruit late in the growing season. As a result, goldfinches breed rather late in the summer, compared with almost all other birds within its range. The lesser goldfinch (C. psaltria) occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

The evening grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertinus) breeds in conifer-dominated forests of southern Canada and the western United States. This yellow-and-black bird wanders widely in the wintertime in search of food, and it can sometimes occur in the southern states during this season.