What Do House Finches Eat? (All You Need To Know)

house sparrow (Mexican Schistosoma) are small, beautiful birds native to the United States and now as far away as Hawaii. These wonderful little creatures are marked to easily distinguish them from other small birds. Male house finches have red markings on their belly and face, while females are light brown with darker stripes on their plumage.

The house sparrow has a fascinating history, having been sold illegally on the East Coast in the mid-20th century before being released into the wild. Along with humans, these birds are found throughout North America, rarely venturing into dense forests. So, what do house sparrows eat?

The house finch’s diet consists mainly of vegetables, fruits, seeds, buds, berries, and florets. They are also known to eat other smaller insects. They like environments in jungles, cities, suburbs, and semi-open areas, which allow for variety in their diet. Like flamingos, body color of house finches can be affected by diet!

house sparrow feeding on sumac

Not only do house finches forage for natural food sources like seeds, fruits, and berries in their natural habitat, but they also get extra help from their human companions! Whether house finches are lurking in farmland, bushland, urban or suburban areas to feed, they also tend to visit local food supplies provided by humans. This can include seed feeders and sugar water!

If you’re wondering how to attract house finches to your home and what to feed them to keep them healthy and happy, read on! You can feed them in all seasons, but their feeding behavior may vary depending on the time of year.

What do house sparrows eat in winter?

Research has shown that house finches do not change their diets during the winter. Unlike other small birds that have to eat more food to gain weight in winter, house finches can keep warm by simply changing their metabolic rate and raising the temperature when needed.

During the winter, house finches will continue to feed on seeds, wheat seeds, fruit and insects. House finches always prefer seeds with a higher oil content, winter or not. When the weather warms up and spring arrives, they will begin to ingest the buds and flower parts.

House sparrow perched on a branch in winter

How often do house sparrows eat?

Like other wild birds, house finches tend to feed throughout the day from first light of dawn until dusk. Because house finches in the wild never know where their next meal will come from, they will eat any food source they see. House finches tend to flock to feeders and stay nearby, feeding from them several times a day.

How much do house sparrows eat?

House finches, like other wild birds, can consume up to half their body weight in food each day. House finches weigh between 0.67 and 0.078 ounces, which means they can eat 0.34 to 0.39 ounces of seeds and other food per day.

Female house finch perched on top of a spruce tree in Colorado

What do little house sparrows eat?

The beaks of young finches are not strong enough to break open the seeds and eat them properly. therefore, House finches only give them young mashed seeds, which they digest easily. Pounded plant matter can include weed seeds, sunflower seeds, dandelion seeds, and thistles.

If you’re caring for a small house finch yourself, you can make your own mixed small seeds, mashed with water or even an electrolyte solution. As the finches get older, you can start feeding them crushed insects, just like their mothers do in the wild.

Male and female house finches feeding their chicks in the nest

What can I feed my house finches?

House finches are not huggable birds, and they likely won’t eat your hand. Therefore, it is best to just leave the food out for them to enjoy rather than attempting to hand feed adult house finches. You can feed house finches a variety of foods, including seeds from a bird feeder, or leave out their favorite fruits, such as sweet berries. Cotoneaster plants are also a favorite of house finches, as are various flower buds. Apple buds are a favorite of house finches.

How do you attract house finches?

As we mentioned before, it’s best to leave house finches food in the backyard rather than trying to hand feed them. You can attract house finches by omitting large bird feeders, such as hanging tube or platform bird feeders, to provide them with an easy place to roost.

Unsweetened water can also attract house finches, such as through a hummingbird feeder. You can plant their favorite shrubs, such as American elderberry, crabapple, and red mulberry bushes. House finches are also attracted to thistle bushes, which are their favorite snack. A more direct way to attract finches besides planting new shrubs is to install a birdbath that gives them somewhere to cool off and drink.

A pair of house sparrows near a backyard feeder

What do house sparrows drink?

House finches love bathing and are attracted to water basins and shallow streams. However, if you need to care for house finches because they are sick or have found baby birds, you can mix an electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte, with their bird food. You can also feed them 100% fruit juice or sugar water in a hummingbird feeder and they’ll love it.

What eats house sparrows?

Unfortunately, house sparrows have many predators. Eagles and other large birds of prey hunt house finches. Chicks and eggs may also become prey for other wildlife. Even smaller birds, such as blue jays, common sparrows, and crows, feed on eggs and young. Mammals such as squirrels, foxes, cats, chipmunks, snakes, and raccoons are all predators that feed on house finches.

House sparrow feeding on some red berries on a branch

What gives the house finch its color?

House finches, like flamingos, can change color based on their diet! Carotenoids found in carrots can give a house finch any color from a subtle orange to a deep red throughout. Carotenoids are also found in berries, squash, sweet potatoes, and squash.

Two male house finches of different colors

House Sparrow Diet FAQs

Do house sparrows eat sunflower seeds?

House finches love sunflower seeds, especially black oil sunflower seeds. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite not only of house finches, but of other wild birds as well. House finches also eat other, smaller sunflower seeds and feed the crushed seeds to their chicks in the spring.

Do house sparrows eat suet?

The house finch is also known to eat suet when served in a suet cake. Suet is the fat around the loin or kidney of lamb and beef. Suet is processed to provide a valuable source of nutrition for house finches during the winter.

Do house sparrows eat grape jelly?

You can safely feed house finches grape jelly as long as it is done in the morning. Grape jelly can be used in place of sugar water or as a low-sugar option for your birds.

A flock of house sparrows perched on a tree in winter

Do house sparrows eat mealworms?

Mealworms do not make up a large portion of a house finch’s diet. However, they can still eat mealworms, especially dry mealworms that can be mixed with regular bird feed.

Do House Finches Eat Bird Seed?

The house finches’ diet consists mainly of bird seeds. House finches can eat seeds, including sunflower seeds, wild seeds of fruit, weed seeds, and grass seeds.

Do house sparrows eat fruit?

There are many fruits favored by house finches, which are small and easy to digest. These include wild sweet berries, mulberries, cranberries and wild cherries. They also love crabapple and elderberries.

feeding juvenile house sparrow

Do house sparrows eat grass?

House finches tend to forage on grass. In addition to weed seeds, they also forage for grass seeds.

Do house sparrows eat bugs?

Worms are easy prey to house finches, which tend to eat them during the spring months when worms are abundant. They can also mash up the tiny worms and feed them to their young.

Do house sparrows eat ants?

House finches have been known to eat ants. However, house finches prefer to munch on termites, beetles and crickets if given the chance.

Do house sparrows eat caterpillars?

Caterpillars and aphids are the natural prey of house finches, which tend to eat them from shrubs, plants, and even trees. Like other birds, house finches can eat early stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. This includes eating butterfly eggs and larvae.