House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Birds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas

	General Description: House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) are small, sexually dimorphic, finches with large bills. Both sexes are gray overall with a streaked breast, but the males have red, orange, or yellow on the head, breast, and rump. The females have a slight or non-existent eyeline (compare with females of other finch species). During winter, the bold colors fade, but still are present on the males. The bill is large, and the culmen (top of the bill) is curved. Favored Habitat: These little birds use a wide variety of low-elevation habitats, ranging from the harshest of desert environments to well-watered urban parks and yards. These are one of the most desert-adapted birds and are able to breed in the driest of places.
	Where to Find: Low elevations everywhere around Las Vegas. Comments: There are three species of finches in southern Nevada. House Finches occur at lower elevation, Purple Finches generally occur at middle elevation, and Cassin's Finches generally occur at the highest elevations.
	Male House Finch drinking at a spring in the desert. The spring colors are quite bright.
	Male House Finch with a red rump.
	Male House Finch with a red rump.
	Sometimes male House Finches have orange or yellow rather than red colors.
	Male house finch with orange and yellow.
	Male house finch.
	House Finch male eating leaf buds in early spring.
	Male and female House Finch
	Female House Finch, note that most house finch girls have no eyebrow line.
	Female House Finch
	Young House Finch
	House Finch nest and nestling in a Silver Cholla cactus. These hard-core desert birds and build a nest and raise their young in a spiny cactus.
	Female House Finch feeding two fledglings.
	Fledgling House Finch with a tuft of downy feathers on the forehead; these are the last of the downy feathers to be lost.
	If you were a seed or a bug, this might be the last face you'd ever see!