Whatbird.com

Good morning from Edmonton AB. 

I have a question about House Finches.   I had House finches here all spring and summer, then I didn't see them at all in early September, so I assumed they flew south.  But now they are back at my feeders again every morning..  They must be new to Alberta - or just getting themselves established here because my "Field Guide to Alberta Birds" doesn't even mention them.  The field guides I have for North America do of course have them listed, but no information on if they are migrating birds or year round residents.  

Does anyone know if House Finches stay to winter here?

 

Thanks in advance..

According to WhatBird, house finches are year round in southern B.C. and Saskatchewan, so it doesn't seem too strange that you'd see them at this time of year in Alberta, depending on the weather patterns.

What I really wanted to say, though, is that I've noticed the exact same phenomenon with my local house finches, and I'm in Missouri - smack dab in the middle of year-round territory. All summer, the house finches have been hogging space at my feeder, and when September hit, they just disappeared. Gone. Finally, this morning, I saw one for the first time in a couple of weeks. We haven't had any rain lately, and the creek in my backyard dried up, so I blamed their dissappearance on that.

Maybe your finches are your regular summer residents who haven't flown south yet but have been responding to some other condition - weather, noise, other animals ...

---

Amy and Merton of Cat

Ok, that's weird - I'm in So CA, and I have noticed the same thing.  I only get Mourning Doves, House Finches, and House S;parrows at my feeder, and lately I've seen very few House Finches.

---

Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

Same here! I rarely see House Finches any more, at least for the past two or three weeks. I was sorta wondering about it myself!!??!!

---

We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
Chief Seattle (paraphrased)

Weird. Perhaps its the annual North American house finch convention, and they're all attending trade shows at some resort on the beach.

---

Amy and Merton of Cat

I am only guessing, but do finches eat bugs besides the seed. Maybe at this time of year they find more of their food supply elsewhere and they leave the seed for awhile?

(I have also been wondering why I see their numbers dwindle some at this time of year)

Well, I'll guess I will add my observations to the mystery also.  I've had two males and possibly 3 females visiting my Feeders for months and then nothing.  I usually try and record my observations in E-bird.  So, see below for specific numbers for each month.

an 2009

Feb 2009

Mar 2009

Apr 2009

May 2009

Jun 2009

Jul 2009

Aug 2009

Sep 2009

Oct 2009

Nov 2009

Dec 2009

2

--

2

7

15

14

19

19

1

--

--

--

 

The one and only House Finch that I've seen this month thus far was a female bird on 9/12/09. 

Note: the Report alignment looked good before I Posted it and then it messed up.  Align the data with the month in sequence beginning with the Jan. and the first number and so on.

 

p.s.  I just got back from Lagrange Georgia and saw several House Finches at a Feeder.  The males were still very brightly colored.

---

http://whatbird.com/forums/photos/birdman/

Actually, I was over in Modjeska Canyon (Orange), CA yesterday (about 25 miles inland from where I live) and there were a lot of House Finches over there. 

---

Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

I think I just figured out what's going on. Up until maybe a month ago, I had Goldfinches at my feeders daily but haven't seen one since. This morning I went birding in an old, overgrown, abandoned pasture less than 200 yards from my house and there were Goldfinches everywhere - probably at least two dozen. I'm guessing that all the weed and grass seeds must now ready for the picking. I believe I read somewhere that even the most active of feeder birds only get 20 or 25% of there food at feeders. So maybe they just prefer naturally occurring seeds and it's that time of year.

---

- Steve

Latest lifers: Whooping Crane, Prairie Falcon, Fox Sparrow

Well, just this morning we had a couple of House Finches back at the feeder... two males. I think Steve has a good point in that when there is plenty of natural food available birds will go for it first over "store-bought" grub. Can't say as I blame them, either!!

---

We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
Chief Seattle (paraphrased)

Bird Brain:

Well, just this morning we had a couple of House Finches back at the feeder... two males. I think Steve has a good point in that when there is plenty of natural food available birds will go for it first over "store-bought" grub. Can't say as I blame them, either!!

 

You may be right about the natural food issue.  It might explain why I have had no birds at either my sunflower feeder or my general mixed seed feeder for the past week or so.  I haven't even seen any House Sparrows.  I've had routine visits from House Finches, White-winged Doves, besides the pesty House Sparrows since Spring and now they have vanished.

---

http://whatbird.com/forums/photos/birdman/

I have not seen any House Finches for about 3 or 4 weeks and today 4 stopped by (2 male, 2 female) by the feeders here. They picked on some House Sparrows for about an hour and went about their way. Still a colorful change every once in a while.

I was really excited to see House Finches AND Purple finches at the feeders yesterday..   It was the first time I'd spotted a purple male ever, although the female was around occasionally during the summer - so it was definately a good bird day at my house...

Yeah, I'm starting to see some House Finches again, too.  They must be back from that Annual House Finch convention they were all attending!

---

Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

i get a few finches during the summer. Mostly the red house finch males and the plain females and occasionally a few goldfinches. But when it cools off in the fall i get lots more variety

with purple ones and goldfinches and red ones and lots of plain brown ones. But after a few frosty nights they almost all go away until spring. thius year is no exception. I have a tube feeder

up with thistle and small seeds in it and they are eating like crazy. But each day a few less. We have had one hard freeze and several frosts. And the whole variety of birds is changing over.

Winter i get juncos nuthatches and chicadees and sparrows and towhees and downey woodpeckers and today i saw the first junco with the rusty spot on its back, And there were 3 house

sparrows at the same time. There are a pair of scrub jays coming every day now. And they are carrying off lots of seeds. there is one acorn woodpecker after the ripe acorns on the scrub oak.

 The magpies stay year around and the red wing black birds summer and fall but the blackbirds are leaving this week.

---

dklucius