Cassin's Finch

Overview

Cassin's finch (Haemorhous cassinii) is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae, and part of the group known as the American rosefinches. The species was named after John Cassin, a curator at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, despite a decreasing population trend that has slowed since 2019.

Identification

• Adult males are raspberry red on the head, breast, back, and rump, with streaked backs and under-tail coverts; they possess a longer bill than the purple finch.
• Adult females have light brown upper-parts and light underparts with brown streaks throughout, and their facial markings are less distinct than those of the female purple finch.
• Both sexes have a short forked brown tail and brown wings, and may have brown, red, or white eyes.
• Measurements include a length of 6.3 in (16 cm), a weight of 0.8–1.2 oz (24–34 g), and a wingspan of 9.8–10.6 in (25–27 cm).

Habitat

Breeding habitat consists of coniferous forests in the mountains of western North America, extending as far south as northern New Mexico and Arizona, as well as Southern California near Baja California. These birds nest in large conifers but may occasionally use deciduous trees or human-modified habitats such as farmlands. During winter, they move to lower elevations, with some non-breeding birds wintering as far south as central interior Mexico, while many individuals remain as permanent residents.

Diet

Cassin's finches mainly eat seeds, buds, and berries, with insects consumed primarily during the summer. They forage in trees and sometimes in ground vegetation, often feeding in small flocks when not nesting.

Did you know?

Nests are constructed as open cups made from a diverse assortment of materials including sticks, weeds, roots, bark, grass, plant fibres, animal hair, and lichens. The female typically lays 4–5 eggs at a time, though clutches can range from 3 to 6, and she solely performs incubation for about 12–14 days.