Brooklyn Bird Watch: December 8
House Finch. Scientific Name: Haemorthous Mexicanus.
Brooklyn Bird Watch features today the Heather Wolf photo of a House Finch. As the Cornell Lab explains, The House Finch was introduced from western North America into eastern North America relatively recent and has been afforded a “warmer reception” than other rivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow. I know from other people that European Starlings (although beautifully colored birds) and House Sparrows can be considered pests.
For example, I have a friend in Florida who says she a light sleeper and who told me about some Starlings that built a nest inside the air conditioner shell (larger than her air conditioner) outside her bedroom window and how they had what sounded like family arguments late at night, accompanied with wings beating up against the hollow metal structure. And then early in the morning just before sunrise they would wake up making funny noises rustling around inside the structure. She said she researched her issue and found out not only were they noisy pests, but that having a wild nest inside the air conditioner shell could be a health hazard. Anyway, to make a long story short, that was it, she called a professional who cleaned out the shell and covered all entrance points with a strong wire screen. No more Starlings.
The House Finch was once called the “Hollywood Finch”. This bird is originally from the Western United States and Mexico. As the Cornell Lab also explains; “In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds (“Hollywood finches”). They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.” And Cornell says that if you put the small, black oil sunflower seeds on your bird feeder and attract one House Finch, be prepared to see many House Finches because if one discovers the feeder, they will go and return with a flock of 50 birds.