 Black, White, and Red About If black is a total absence of colour and white is a combination of every colour then neither is actually a colour. However, winter bird feeders in the Cariboo would be dull indeed if not for birds clad in muted variations of black, or white, or some combination thereof. This Christmas I sojourned to the Vancouver area to visit relatives and was promptly spoiled by the bounty of birds. Towhees, Winter Wrens, Red-tailed Hawks, Gulls of all kinds, Great Blue Herons, and even Robins crossed my path. And then like waking from a dream I returned to 100 Mile House with all those fresh bird sights and sounds beginning to fade from memory. The first day back I watched from my window but did not expect to see great varieties, or arrays of colourful birds. Just the usual black and white bird suspects; Juncos, Chickadees, and Woodpeckers, loyally coming to my feeders. Suddenly a bird piñata was bashed open and flecks of gaudy stuff floated into the lilac bush – a blizzard of sparrow-sized red birds. My eyes locked onto the branches where a few of the more brilliant specimens sat. They were of some red seed eater species. Were they Purple Finches? Were they Redpolls? Redpolls were smaller and stockier and overall more pale. The red chests and heads did make me think of Redpolls but the slender more darkly striped bodies suggested an answer. These were House Finches, a mob of House Finches, the biggest flock to ever drop by my feeder. My lilac bush was transformed from a clump of bare branches into a pulsing market scene brimming with jostling, yammering hordes of striped Finches. Feeders rocked with to-ing and fro-ing. Horrified Chickadees withdrew to the fir trees frightened by the intensity of the Boxing-Day-like shopping frenzy. I watched the energetic flock feed and fly about, and estimated their number at just over two dozen. But it was difficult to get an accurate count. At one point I allowed that 3 dozen birds might be closer to the truth. Before this day the most House Finches I’d hosted at my feeder were two. As in the past, when red finches put in an appearance after a long absence, I consulted my books in order to review characteristic markings for each of the three local species. Purple Finches are probably the most common red finches during winter. They are robust looking birds. The male is covered extensively in red. The female is streaked heavily with the boldest face pattern of the three red finches. The male, and female, Purple Finches neck thickness always catches my eye. The neck rises in a volcano shape which tapers and droops beak-ward to envelope the broad forehead of the species. The eye appears to be set just below the level of the top of the bill and this gives the face a surly expression. House Finches may be the second most common red finches during winter. Males display red feathering which is restricted to the throat, the breast, and a bandana of red that runs across the forehead and over the eyes. Often the cap of the head is brown. All three species have red rumps. The flanks of the male House Finch are streaked extensively, a feature almost lacking in the other two species. Female House Finches have extensive streaking everywhere and the upper chest is washed in dull brown. Their necks are narrow and their heads seem small compared to the Purple Finch. The last of the three finches is the Cassin’s Finch. I have never seen a Cassin’s Finch in the Cariboo during winter until I thought I glimpsed a male in my most recent flock. It sat to one side in the lilac bush blending quite well with all the other House Finches until I noticed that overall it was much redder than some of the other birds. At first I thought it might be a Purple Finch so I grabbed for my binoculars. Though I glimpsed the bird briefly I knew it was not a House Finch. Its back was reddish with dark streaks. Its head was all red and it appeared to have a whitish ‘moustache’ under the eye, a feature that only occurs on Purple, or Cassin’s Finches. The mystery finch quickly flew away and did not return. The large flock of House Finches brightened the feeders for two days but are now gone. The feeders are back to the black and whites. This recent appearance of the reds gave me much to talk about, so if I come up to you on the street and ask “Anything interesting happening in your bird world?” Don’t reply with your sighting of a White-breasted Nuthatch. Just say “No” and let me tell you about my recent House Finch invasion. To e-mail Tom CLICK HERE To look at previous column CLICK HERE |
