I photographed this male House Finch at Farmington Bay WMA 3 days ago. I noticed that he seemed dull compared to male House Finches I saw in Arkansas this year.
Dull male House Finch in Utah – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1250, ISO 640, +1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Over the years, during my time in Utah, I’ve observed numerous male House Finches, most with dull red, or the less common orange, or yellow feathers on their faces, heads, necks, and upper breasts.
Male House Finches acquire their colored feathers from pigments in the plant foods they consume during molting. These pigments, known as carotenoids, contribute to the distinctive hues of their red, orange, and yellow plumage. These vibrant colors are the result of various combinations of 13 different carotenoids.
The more carotenoids a male House Finch eats, the redder its feathers will be, and the redder the feathers, the more likely they are to attract a female.
Vivid male House Finch in Arkansas – Canon R7, f11, 1/1250, ISO 12,800, Canon RF 800mm, natural light
As I photographed the male House Finch at Farmington Bay, I couldn’t help but compare him to the more vibrant male House Finches I saw and photographed in Arkansas. Most of the males I saw in my friend Steve Creek‘s wonderful Arkansas yard were as brightly colored as the male in the photo above, with some displaying even more vividly colored red feathers.
The male House Finches I had in my garden in Virginia were just as red as those I photographed in Steve’s yard.
This made me wonder what the male Arkansas House Finches are eating that the male Utah House Finches don’t have access to when foraging for food.
Bright male House Finch in northern Utah – Nikon D500, f9, 1/800, ISO 640,+1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I’m not suggesting that all male House Finches in northern Utah are less vibrant than those in other geographical regions. As shown in the photo above, some of the males here are brightly colored.
However, my observations of them, however anecdotal they are, do seem to indicate that male House Finches in Utah just aren’t as vibrantly red as those I found in Arkansas.
How is that for my early Monday morning thoughts about these birds?
Let me know how brightly colored the House Finches are in your neck of the woods in the comments!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my House Finch photos plus facts and information about this species.
A million years ago…when I was suffering through high school biology, I mustered up the courage to read Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” for extra credit (which I really needed). Despite being averse to all manners of science…I was absolutely fascinated by the book and came away a real interest in finches. These wonderful shots, as well as those you have posted before, always take me back to that time. Thanks Mia.
Great shots of a very handsome bird and another great lesson!! Thanks Mia!
I made a similar observation when comparing male House Finches in winter on Hilton Head Island, SC to those we see at my feeders in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Those at HHI were very red and bright relative to those I saw at home. The same difference was observed in Northern Cardinals. Some House Finches and Cardinals I’ve seen and photographed in Ontario in summer are as bright, but the majority are less colourful. It would be interesting to know what carotenoid-rich seeds/foods are making the difference. Clearly some of our “northern” individuals consume sufficient amounts.
Fascinating. I love realising that birds too = ‘are what they eat’.
I have about 100 photos of House Finches taken in Connecticut during 2022-23 in my collection, plus a few from Illinois. The brightest males, about 20, occurred in all seasons, far outnumbered by females and dull males.. I rather expected that spring would produce the brightest colors. I could perform a more detailed quantitative analysis to verify the statistics, though this is a very small sample
Last House Finch photo is so lovely artistically! We don’t see coloration like this in our Pittsburgh neighborhood. —Jeri S.