Three Little Red Birds

I feel like The Bad Seed; I need to be careful what I wish for! Sure, the Blue Jay was a somewhat unwelcome visitor the other day, but I just hoped it wouldn’t nest in my yard…that’s all! I went off to work yesterday and found the driveway littered with blue feathers and pieces of wing. I am so sorry, fella. Raptors gotta eat too though, huh?

I believe I’ve figured it out; I have House Finch and Purple Finch regularly visiting my feeders. Sherrie tells me House Finches "are EXTREMELY variable", so perhaps that is why some are redder and some International Orange, like this guy.

These photos are not mine, and appear on each bird's profile page on the links I've provided..but are wonderful illustratons of the three (?) birds I see here.

They really do seem, to me, to be quite similar…but the Purples have an all-over pinkish tint to them and are nowhere near as stripy.

It might be possible I have Cassin’s Finchs here as well…there are a few who seem to have an especially bright red, and quite ‘spiky looking’ topknot.

While the female Purples look like little winged ground-squirrels with their brown and white markings, the females that could be Cassin’s puff up their topknots just like the males, like this female Cassin's is doing here.

Here is a fascinating discussion on the three birds and how to Distingush the Differences. Lovely birds, all.