House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
The House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) is a common finches, euphonias, and alli found in 10 countries, weighing about 21 g. The house finch is a North American bird in the finch family.
About the House Finch
The house finch is a North American bird in the finch family. It is native to Mexico and southwestern United States, but has since been introduced to the eastern part of North America and Hawaiʻi; it is now found year-round in almost all parts of the United States and most of Mexico, with breeding grounds well into Canada as far north as northern Alberta. There are estimated to be 40 million house finches across North America, making it the second-most populous finch, just behind the American goldfinch. The house finch and the other two American rosefinches are placed in the genus Haemorhous.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The house finch is a moderate-sized finch, 12.5 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in) long, with a wingspan of 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in). Body mass can vary from 16 to 27 g (9⁄16 to 15⁄16 oz), with an average weight of 21 g (3⁄4 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 7 to 8.4 cm (2+3⁄4 to 3+1⁄4 in), the tail is 5.7 to 6.5 cm (2+1⁄4 to 2+1⁄2 in), the culmen is 0.9 to 1.1 cm (3⁄8 to 7⁄16 in) and the tarsus is 1.6 to 1.8 cm (5⁄8 to 11⁄16 in). Adults have a long, square-tipped brown tail and are a brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep gray on the wing feathers.
What the House Finch sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Belgium.
When to see it
The House Finch can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the House Finch on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a House Finch?
- The house finch is a moderate-sized finch, 12.5 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in) long, with a wingspan of 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a House Finch?
- The House Finch is a small sized bird weighing about 21 g.
- Where can you see a House Finch?
- The House Finch occurs in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Greece and Spain.
- What does a House Finch sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the House Finch on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a House Finch?
- The House Finch is most easily confused with the Purple Finch and the Cassin's Finch.
- Is the House Finch endangered?
- The House Finch is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the House Finch for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.