House Finches: scarlet and brown feeder birds

House Finches frequently visit our backyard bird feeder in Regina, Saskatchewan — and when they perch nearby in the sun, the males' feathers are amazingly bright!  

The male House Finch has a brown crown and bright markings on his head, chest and back — the latter is often visible as a flash of red between his wings. The female, as below, is a more subdued brown and white bird. 

Male House Finch; backyard   © SB

Female House Finch; backyard   © SB

What are these? House Finches.  
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 
Photo dates: February 8, 2013. 

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Common Redpolls: Winter Prairie Visitors

Common Redpoll
in seed-scattered snow © SB

This winter, small flocks of Common Redpolls have graced our bird feeder in Regina, Saskatchewan.

These small northern songbirds nest in the Artic, and spend the winter further south in balmy climates like ours, where the temperature ranges down to minus 30C, and below.

Both males and females in this finch family have dark red caps; in addition, the males also sport bright rosy breasts.

In our yard, at least, the Redpolls have been ground feeders — scurrying across the snow to peck at seed tossed down by our regular avian visitors, the House Sparrows.

Common Redpoll fluffed up against the cold. © SB

What are these? Common Redpolls
Location: Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Photo date: January 11, 2013. 

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Red Crossbills in Cypress Hills: Male, female and juvenile

Red Crossbill at Cypress Hills   © SB  

The first Red Crossbills I saw were far down the road north of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada), caught by the camera while I took photographs of Cedar Waxwings.

That pair of birds — a brick-red male, and the more subdued yellow female — picked through the hot gravel, perhaps searching for grit or salt in the stones.

Later that day, I saw another pair, this time a reddish male and a mottled brown juvenile, high on bare branches in the park, near Elkwater Lake, Alberta.

All About Birds explains that Crossbills feed on conifer seeds, and their weird (crossed) bills help them open tightly closed cones (spruce, pine, Douglas fir, and hemlock).

The Encyclopaedia of Saskatchewan says Red Crossbills are one of 12 species of finches in Saskatchewan, and in Cypress Hills, they breed and feed in large stands of lodgepole pine.

Juvenile and adult Red Crossbills,
at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.  © SB

Road birds: Red Crossbill pair forages in gravel    © SB  

What are these birds? Red Crossbills 

Location: Eagle Butte Road, SW Alberta, and in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Alberta and Saskatchewan), Canada.  

Photo dates:  July 30, 2012.  

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House Finches: Scarlet, Rose and Yellow

With the first snow, the House Finch flocks to feeders, their rose, scarlet and yellow feathers a bright flash of colour against the dull winter sky.

These sparrow-sized birds are fairly common here, and all of these photos were taken through our dining room window, looking out onto the lilac bushes in the backyard. It was snowing lightly, and the white blurs, streaks and spots in the images are snowflakes — and the birds have their feathers fluffed up because of the cold.

What are these? House Finches. The first two are red/rose, the next three a bright scarlet/orange, and the last House Finch, a golden yellow. 
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan. 
Photo dates: November 6, 2011. 

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