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fotabug | all galleries >> Past PAD Galleries >> Photo-A-Day - 2016 > The Secret of Male House Finch Coloration Exposed
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27-SEP-2016 Vern Rogers (fotabug fotos)

The Secret of Male House Finch Coloration Exposed

I got a photo of a bird this morning at Delta Ponds that I can't ID. I don't see anything in my "Birds of Oregon" book. Seems I read somewhere about a type of finch that turns greyish with pinkish color on the sides of its head and throat. Now I can't find it. It does seem to have a beak like a finch. Would appreciate help with the ID.

Thanks to the great feedback, it is pretty much confirmed this is a male house finch! Also, I found the inforation I was looking for regarding house finch colors. Also, I found photos of house finches online that were the same.

This is from WIKIPEDIA - "Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons[5] and is derived from the berries and fruits in its diet.[6] As a result, the colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red. Adult females have brown upperparts and streaked underparts."

Too bad I couldn't get a better image of it. Without the extreme zoom of the P900, I could never have got a shot. It was so far away I couldn't see it with my naked eye. I saw it fly in and land is the only reason I saw it. Even with the P900 I had to crop to get the bird at a decent size. As a result, the image is not all that great. But I was excited to see what I got and hope to get a positive ID.

Nikon COOLPIX P900
1/125s f/6.5 at 357.0mm iso560 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time27-Sep-2016 09:13:27
MakeNikon
ModelCOOLPIX P900
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length357 mm
Exposure Time1/125 sec
Aperturef/6.5
ISO Equivalent560
Exposure Bias-0.30
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Julie Oldfield01-Oct-2016 18:43
Beautiful composition. V
laine29-Sep-2016 19:21
What a pretty little finch...great that it's been given an ID, Vern. Superbly taken. V
Laura Milholland29-Sep-2016 05:22
Cute little thing - and nicely caught, Vern. I see you have already verified ID. :)
Missed Opportunities28-Sep-2016 20:28
Hi Vern - - Male House Finch; I got a couple of shots of some in southern Florida that were tangerine where this one is pink.
John Shen Photography28-Sep-2016 18:02
Great eye in capturing this beauty! :)
Gary28-Sep-2016 16:00
Nice image of a juvenile house finch...
Ruth Voorhis28-Sep-2016 13:44
A pretty image, very colorful
JSB PHOTOGRAPHS28-Sep-2016 06:39
That is a great shot Vern, hope you can ID it. V
NealyBob28-Sep-2016 05:37
Great shot of this beautiful bird~! Looks like a immature or juvenile male House Finch~!V
joseantonio28-Sep-2016 04:04
beautiful colors in the background.V.
Bea.28-Sep-2016 02:51
A pretty good result, it's a pretty little bird.
Hank Vander Velde28-Sep-2016 02:25
My guess is that it is a male House finch Vern. Pretty good shot with the P900.
globalgadabout28-Sep-2016 02:06
it does resemble a house finch, although seems a little plumper...that is a colourful backdrop..
Steve Thuman28-Sep-2016 02:05
Looks like a young male house finch. But could be a young purple or Cassins finch. It's so hard to ID birds!
Jim Coffman28-Sep-2016 01:53
A very nice image, Vern...
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