Carpodacus cassinii
In some parts of the Rockies, Cassin's Finches are the most common birds-but only for a few short days. These birds move to higher elevations during the breeding season, and their mass migration frequently finds them in townsites for a short time. During these days, it seems that scarcely a tree, not to mention a feeder, is free of these marauding migrants. Once the birds have moved off, they are more difficult to see, but their bubbling courtship song serves as a pleasant reminder of their time in towns. John Cassin was one of the leading 19th-century bird taxonomists: his name graces four species of birds. |
I.D.: Male: reddish crown, throat and rump; brown nape; white underparts; streaked undertail coverts and flanks; deeply notched tail; mottled brown upperparts. Female: indistinct facial patterning; streaked undertail coverts; finely streaked underparts. Size: L 53/4-61/4 in. (15-16 cm). Range: common year-round resident in the southern U.S. Rockies; common migrant and summer breeder in the northern U.S. Rockies; irregular migrant in the southern Canadian Rockies. Habitat: Summer: spruce-fir forests in the subalpine. Migration and Winter: pinyon-juniper, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests up to the montane. Nesting: on an outer limb in a conifer; cup nest is woven with grass, moss, bark shreds, fur and small roots; female incubates 4-5 eggs for 12-14 days. Feeding: eats mostly seeds, but also eats insects and buds in spring and berries in winter; often visits birdfeeders. Voice: call is a 2-syllable kee-up; song is a long, varied warble. Similar Species: Purple Finch: male has a reddish nape and flanks; female has a distinct cheek patch and unstreaked undertail coverts. House Finch: squared tail; male has a brown cap; female has heavily streaked underparts. |
