Finch Facts
Finch Facts
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| Interesting Finch Facts: |
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| Finches can reach 3 to 6 inches in length and 0.35 to 1.2 ounces of weight. |
| Finch has brownish or greenish body covered with black, yellow and red feathers. Males are more vividly colored than females. |
| Male house finch (type of finch) has red-colored head and breasts. Red color originates from the pigments (carotenoids) from the food that this bird is eating. Females prefer to mate with red males, because red-colored head means that male can provide appropriate type of food for their chicks. |
| Yellow-color of the house finches head is a sign of stress or inadequate diet. |
| Finches can have small triangular beak, thick rounded beak or beak with crossed tips, depending on the species and type of diet. |
| Finches are herbivores (plant eaters). Their diet is based on various types of seed. Some species of finches eat buds and fruit. |
| Darwin proposed its well known theory of evolution by watching and examining finches on Galapagos Islands. 14 species of Galapagos finches have common ancestor that has arrived on Galapagos million years ago. One type of finch evolved into 14 different types of birds as a result of adaptation to different types of food and habitats (all 14 species of Galapagos finches inhabit different types of habitats/islands). 14 species of Galapagos finches differ in shape and size of their beak, body size and behavior. |
| Finches are sedentary or partially migratory birds. |
| Finches are gregarious birds that often live in large flocks, also known as charms. They communicate through various songs. |
| Finches build basket-shaped nest in the trees, bushes or in the crevices of rocks. |
| Female lays 2 to 6 pale blue eggs that hatch after incubation period of 13 to 14 days. |
| Chicks are naked, blind and helpless at birth. They stay in the nest during the first 2 to 3 weeks of their life. |
| Finches reach sexual maturity at the age of 9 to 12 months. |
| House finch is often kept as pet. This bird hardly adapts to the life near humans and caretakers should avoid physical contact with imprisoned finch as much as possible. House finch requires presence of other finches to stay healthy both physically and mentally. |
| Finches can survive up to 20 years, but most birds live from 4 to 7 years in the wild. |
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