Finch
Finches are a diverse group of medium-sized birds belonging to the family Fringillidae, with over 240 recognized species. Found in parks, gardens, and at bird feeders across most continents—except Australia and Antarctica—finches are characterized by their stout bills and strong jaw muscles, which are specially adapted for crushing seeds. These birds inhabit a wide range of environments from North and South America to Europe, Asia, and most of Africa, but are notably absent from Australia and some surrounding islands.
Finches are primarily seed eaters, though their diet can also include fruits, nectar, and insects. They are known for their distinctive nesting behavior; female finches construct cup-shaped nests and incubate their eggs, typically laying two to five eggs that hatch in about two weeks. While finches can live for several years in the wild, they tend to have longer lifespans in captivity.
Additionally, finches are celebrated for their singing abilities, producing a variety of musical sounds that enhance their presence in the wild. Despite their widespread distribution, various threats, including habitat loss and introduced predators, have impacted some finch populations, making their conservation an important consideration.
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Finch
Finches are common in parks and gardens and at bird feeders on most continents, excluding Australia and Antarctica. They have stout, strong bills, large jaw muscles, and strong gizzards (stomachs) for crushing seeds. They have been popular pets and songbirds for centuries.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Various (see below)
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
The finch family Fringillidae consists of more than 240 medium-sized birds called "true finches." Birds in the Passerellidae, Estrildidae, Emberizidae, and Thraupidae families are also called finches. These birds live in almost every habitat on nearly every continent. Finches inhabit North and South America, Europe, and Asia except for the extreme northern and some southern regions. Finches also reside in most of Africa. Except for some finches introduced into New Zealand, finch species are not found in Australia, neighboring islands, or southeast Asia.
All finches are seed-eaters. A finch wedges each seed into a groove in its mouth and cracks the shell with its large jaw muscles and strong, stout bill. The tongue removes and discards the shell, and the finch swallows the kernel. The kernel travels down the gullet, or esophagus or throat, through the crop, and into the finch's strong gizzard, or stomach. The crop is a chamber for storing food or carrying it to the nest. The finch's gizzard, like other birds', has small pebbles that help grind seed kernels. Some finches eat fruit, nectar, and anthropods like spiders and insects.
Unlike other seed-eating birds, finches have 9 primary flight feathers rather than 10, and they have 12 large tail feathers. Also, only female finches build their cup-shaped nests and incubate the eggs. Adult finches measure 3 to 10 inches (10 to 27 centimeters) long. The lesser goldfinch reaches 3 1/2 inches (8 3/4 centimeters) and 1/3 ounce (9 1/3 grams), while grosbeaks reach 10 inches (25 1/2 centimeters) and weigh 3 ounces (85 grams). Their plumage, or feathering, ranges in color and pattern between species.
Finches breed when the most food is available. The breeding season depends on what the species eats. They may nest alone or in loose colonies with nests spread evenly over the area. In some species, a pair claims and defends a territory during the breeding season. Female finches build cup-shaped nests in trees, bushes, rock cavities, or grassy clumps in the sand using grass, moss, and other vegetation. Females incubate an average of two to five eggs, though the house finch may lay six. Some species may lay more than one clutch, or batch of eggs, each year. Incubation, the time during which the mother sits on the eggs, lasts for 12 to 14 days. The eggs may be greenish-blue or white and may or may not have spots or lines depending on the species. After they hatch, young finches, called nestlings, stay in their nests for 12 to 18 days. Their mothers feed and protect them while their wing feathers grow. After the nestling period, they can fly for the first time and are called fledglings.
Domestic cats, rats, birds of prey, snakes, and small mammals like squirrels, raccoons, and chipmunks prey on finches. Some species face danger from deforestation, agriculture, pollution, and competition with cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Other threats are urban expansion, disease, and predators introduced by humans. Finches live an average of 2 to 5 years in the wild but may reach 9 to 12 years in captivity.
Two subfamilies of finches migrate in flocks across various distances. Migratory routes and destinations depend on what food they eat and where it is available. Some finches migrate along the same paths and return to the same places every season. Other species are more flexible.
Finches are known for their singing ability. Among the musical songs, calls, whistles, trills, and squealing notes of finches are a variety of sounds like "spink," "chip," "tswark," "tchuck," and "dwee."
Bibliography
Armstrong, Tavia F. "Finch." A-Z Animals, 12 Apr. 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/finch. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.