Description This small song bird is 14 cm long and weigh 19 to 22 grams. The females are smaller than the males. Both are brown and striped with a light colored abdomen. The males have bright red feathers on its head, chest, and rumps. The red coloring is pigment from the birds food source during molting and will vary according to the diet of the bird. However the male finches in Hawaii lack the red color of mainland birds primarily due to diet.

Lifecycle Both males and females are sexually mature at one year. Socially monogamous birds breeding pairs form in the winter culminating in bonds that are established right before breeding seasons. Males perform a “Butterfly Flight” where they ascend 20 to 30 meters, then slowly glide to a perch singing a loud constant song to attract a mate. Breeding occurs between March and August and one pair can lay up to six clutches of eggs in one breeding season. House finch nests are shallow cups constructed of grass, hair, and other available fibers in which 2-6 bluish-green eggs with black spots hatch after 13 or 14 days. During this time males protect and brings food to the female who then feeds their young. Males do not participate in the raising or feeding of chicks until they are almost 5 days old.

Habitat House Finches were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands sometime before 1870. They are highly adaptable to urban and suburban environments and found in and around buildings and lawns. They prefer edge habitat and can thrive in a range of desert to forest.

Diet House Finches are vegetarians and have a short convex bill that has adapted to their diet of seeds and fruit. In Hawaii they have been referred to as the Papaya Bird which stems from their preference for that fruit.

Behavior Very active during the daylight hours Finches often roost at night in close proximity to one another. They communicate by vocalizations and visual aides. Calls usually consist of “kweat” or “weet” noises, used mainly to keep in contact with a mate.