12 Types Of Finch Birds With Pictures

Finches are small to medium-sized birds with conical bills and colorful plumage. They inhabit a wide range of habitats and have a distinctive flight call. There are several species of finches in North America, including redbirds, waxbills, crossbills, and goldfinches. Discover 12 species of finches and learn about their habitats, appearance, diet and nests.

Cassin’s Tits

Habitat and range: Cassin’s finches are permanent residents of the Northwestern United States. Populations that breed further north of the Canadian border migrate to the Southwest and Mexico for the winter. These birds live in mature forests and sagebrush bushes.

Features and Coloring: These stout finches have notched tails and rose-pink plumage with heavy brown stripes.

diet: Seeds, Sprouts and Berries

Voicing: flute

nest: Open branches and cups of weeds in a large coniferous tree

house sparrow

Habitat and range: House sparrows live year-round in most of the United States, with the exception of parts of the Midwest. Their habitat ranges widely, but you can often find them near human settlements, such as urban centers and suburban lawns.

Features and Coloring: The house finch is a small bird with a large beak and a long, flat head. They also have rose-red plumage and a striped brown back.

diet: Seeds, Sprouts and Berries

Voicing: Chirps and broad warbles

nest: Open grass and weed cups placed in various locations

purple finch

Habitat and range: Purple finch breeds in Canada and overwinters in the eastern United States. Populations from the Northeast and Northwest live there year-round. They live in cool, moist evergreen forests in summer and in a variety of habitats in winter.

Features and Coloring: Another species of small finches with conical beaks. They have a stocky body with a reddish-pink head, brown back and white belly.

diet: Seeds, Berries, Buds and Insects

Voicing: rich musical vibrato

nest: A compact branch cup placed on a horizontal branch

black rose finch

Habitat and range: The Black Suzaku has a relatively small range in the mountains of the western United States. They are high altitude migrants, which means they migrate to lower altitudes during winter. They breed above the treeline on cliffs and rockslides, and winter in open parks and valleys.

Features and Coloring: They are medium-sized finches with black and pink plumage and gray crests.

diet: seeds and insects

Voicing: low “squeak” note

nest: A huge open grass cup in a cliff crack

Brown-crested Suzaku

Habitat and range: The brown crested rosefinches have a small range in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. They breed in the snowy meadows of alpine regions and migrate to lower elevations during the winter, where they inhabit Rocky Mountain communities.

Features and Coloring: This stout, medium-sized bird has a short tail and long wings. Male breeding plumage is dark brown above, rose below, and gray crest.

diet: Insects, Spiders and Seeds

Voicing: low squeak

nest: Huge Mossy Cup in a Cliff Crack

Grey-crested Suzaku

Habitat and range: Red-crowned Suzakus breed in Alaska and western Canada and overwinter in the northwestern United States. They inhabit alpine areas above the timberline and nest near cliffs and glaciers. In winter, you can find them in meadows and on rocky hillsides.

Features and Coloring: This rosy finch is a medium-sized, stocky bird with a short tail and short beak. They have gray heads and brown bodies with dark stripes and pink accents.

diet: seeds and insects

Voicing: harsh “squeak” note

nest: large grass cup between boulders

american goldfinch

Habitat and range: The American Goldfinch is widely distributed in North America. They breed in southern Canada and winter in the southern United States and Mexico. There are also permanent populations in the northern to central United States. They live in overgrown fields and open floodplains.

Features and Coloring: Breeding males are bright yellow in plumage, with black wings and forehead. Non-breeding males are brown with black and white wings and yellow heads.

diet: seeds and insects

Voicing: Bright “Potato Chips”

nest: Compact plant fiber cups in deciduous shrubs and trees

Lawrence Goldfinch

Habitat and range: The Lawrence Goldfinch breeds sporadically in California and winters in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. They are nomadic, moving around throughout the year in search of seed plants and water. They live in dry, open woodlands, coastal scrub, suburbs and weedy fields.

Features and Coloring: These birds are gray overall with yellow breast and wing spots. They also have black faces and striped wings.

diet: seeds and insects

Voicing: melodious, husky notes

nest: grass cup on tree

little goldfinch

Habitat and range: Lesser goldfinches have breeding populations in the Southwest, but most live year-round on the West Coast and Mexico. Some also live permanently in Central and South America. They live in dappled open habitats such as scrubland, woodlands, clearings and farmland.

Features and Coloring: Males are bright yellow underside and glossy black above with white wing spots.

diet: seeds and insects

Voicing: quick twitter

nest: A compact cup of woven grass placed in a vertical branch fork in a bush

pine tit

Habitat and range: Pine tits breed in Canada and winter in the United States and Mexico. Some of the population are permanent residents of southern Canada and the western United States. They breed in open coniferous and mixed forests. You can also find them in parks, cemeteries, suburbs, and many other areas.

Features and Coloring: They are very small songbirds with sharp beaks. These birds are brown striped with a buff rim.

diet: Seeds, plant matter and insects

Voicing: hoarse whisper trill

nest: Large shallow branch cups hidden in trees

Twilight wax mouth

Habitat and range: The evening waxbill lives year-round in Canada and the northwestern United States, and in winter it covers most of the United States except the far south. You can find them in mature coniferous and deciduous forests.

Features and Coloring: They are large, heavy finches with thick beaks and short tails. They have shades of yellow and black plumage with white wing spots.

diet: Seeds, Berries and Insects

Voicing: short musical whistle

nest: Loose twig cups placed on horizontal branches

red cross mouth

Habitat and range: The red crossbill is a permanent resident of Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the Southwest and Mexico. They overwinter in other parts of the United States except the Southeast. They inhabit mature coniferous forests.

Features and Coloring: They are medium-sized finches with crossed bills, brick-red plumage, and dark wings and tails.

diet: conifer seeds

Voicing: Sweet, Loose Vibrato

nest: A bulky, loose branch cup placed on a horizontal coniferous branch

IAN WARKENTIN

I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.

Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.