- Haemorhous mexicanus
Carpodacus mexicanus
Identification
L. 5-6" (13-15 cm)
Male
- Bright red on crown, breast, and rump
- A yellow carotinoid variant is sometimes seen (photo below).
Female
- Plain, unstriped head
- Heavy streaking on light underside
Immature males
Less highly coloured, often orangish or yellowish on head and breast
Variations
In north-west Mexico is a region where House Finch males are extensively red and with much less brownish streaking on the underside[2] (probably subspecies ruberrimus).
Distribution
North America, Canada to southern Mexico
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in genus Carpodacus.
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species consisting of twelve subspecies[1]:
- H. m. frontalis: South-western Canada to western US, Baja California and north-western Mexico
- H. m. clementis: Channel Islands (off southern California) and Los Coronados Islands (off northern Baja)
- H. m. amplus: Guadalupe Island (off Baja California)
- H. m. ruberrimus: Southern Baja California and north-western Mexico (Sonora, southern Sinaloa and south-western Chihuahua)
- H. m. rhodopnus: Arid tropical central Sinaloa
- H. m. coccineus: Mountains of south-western Mexico (southern Nayarit and western Zacatecas to western Michoacán)
- H. m. potosinus: Southern Texas (Rio Grande Valley) to Chihuahua and south-western Tamaulipas
- H. m. centralis: Central Mexican plateau (Guanajuato, Querétaro and adjacent states)
- H. m. mexicanus: South central Mexican plateau (eastern Michoacán to Hidalgo and Oaxaca)
- H. m. roseipectus: Southern Mexico (southern Puebla and Valley of Oaxaca)
- H.. m. griscomi: South-western Mexico (Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero)
- H. m. mcgregori: Formerly San Benito and Cedros island (off Baja California). Extinct
Habitat
Deserts, orchards, coastal valleys and forests.
Behaviour
Breeding
A tightly woven, compact nest is made and set in a bush, thicket, natural cavity, or on a building. The clutch contains 3-5 bluish, lightly streaked or spotted eggs.
Diet
Diet consists mainly of seeds, buds and fruit, with the addition of some insects.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Birdforum thread discussing redder House Finch in Mexico
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) House Finch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/House_Finch
External Links
