New Finch "residents"-Questions

[alwardclan]

I think I should have posted this question here:
I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado in the foothills 6,400 ft elev. I have a pair of finches that have built a nest and laied 4 eggs in our wreath on our front door! I would like to find out what kind of finches the are (house,purple or cassin's) and any info about them. I am not a "birder", but I've become very interested in finding out about our new residents. I have gone online for some basic info(so I know they are finches). We are not using our front door and I put up a sign directing any visiters to use our side door. I purchased a bird feeder and small water "bath" and placed them in our Crab Apple tree 15 feet from the front door, where Mr. & Mrs. Finch found them. I see them eating the seed as well as the blooms on the tree. Please write me with any more information on how I can learn more about them. Sorry for rambling on...I'm just very excited to have found this forum and ask some experts for help. Thanks in advance for your replies....This may seem trivial to some, but we all need to start somewhere. Thanks, Missy

[BirdBugs]

Hello... I just saw this message and though I'm relatively new to birding myself I think I know a site you will find useful: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/
They have an entire section devoted to nesting house finches, and a study program tied into it which you might want to check out. We have house sparrows nesting in the top of a column outside our front door but Cornell has no program geared towards them, just the finches. At any rate, the entire site is highly informative - especially for newcomers. I hope you find your answers. I was glad to hear that even though your not really a birder, you have gone above and beyond what most people would've done - I'm glad there are people like you out there! Good luck with your research and your new adopted "family". :)

[EcoMatt]

My mother once had a nest of house finches in a wreath on the front door.

[BirdBugs]

I responded to your inquiry yesterday with a link to cornell's ornithology lab website... but in case you have trouble finding the house finch study section...here is a better link: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi/
Sorry if you had any troubles with the first link.... again, good luck with your finches!

[BirdBugs]

P.S. I hope yours are healthy... and don't mean to scare you by sending the info on the disease study but there is also a lot of good info on healthy finches too. Ok, I'm going to let go now... I overthink sometimes, sorry...:)

[Michelle S]

I live in the high plains of Colorado as well. We have a house finch nest on our front door wreath that contains 5 nestlings that are well on their way fledging. This brood is over one month earlier than the earliest nest we had last year.

[Katy Penland]

Hi, Michelle! I see this is your first post, so a warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!

You guys with your nesting birds on your front doors!!! I am so envious! ;)