[wisb] Re: RFI:Finch ID

  • From: "Tom Wood" <tcwood729@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <Wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 21:05:41 -0600

Thanks for your responses. I now have strong opinions from both sides.
Kevin's suggestion is particularly helpful, because by viewing both species
side by side, I can keep my laptop display at one angle which theoretically
should provide an accurate comparison of color provided the chromaticity of
the cameras being used is accurate. In this instance I can observe that the
demonstration bird for Purple Finch is indeed the raspberry color I would
expect, and using this as a reference, Sidney's bird does appear to be the
color I would expect from a House Finch. Also, the side-by-side comparison
does reveal a slightly more curved culmen on the bird in question, which is
characteristic of House Finch. Now, with the information supplied by Tom
Prestby that House Finches don't necessarily have streaked underparts, I
have something to start watching for that  I've missed all these years.
As to John Ottinger's question, I believe I can answer that one. House
Finches far outnumber Purple Finches in the southern part of the state.
Purple Finches are by no means rare, but they are irruptive, and numbers
vary from year to year. As a matter of fact I did see a female Purple Finch
at Bong on 3/26 (a much easier ID).
I've been using Wisbirdn for less than 6 months, but I find it to be a
tremendous resource with the spectacular photos, great rarity reports,
progress on migration throughout the state, and thought provoking
discussions such as this. Thanks to Sidney for posting his photos and to the
others for taking the time to respond to my questions.

Thomas Wood,Menomonee Falls, Waukesha County

-----Original Message-----
From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Kevin Kearns
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 8:18 PM
To: 'Wisbird'
Subject: [wisb] Re: RFI:Finch ID

Just one more word, here are two images that can be viewed side by side
using tabs to make a nice side by side comparison of the differences.

The finch in question
https://picasaweb.google.com/hammsidney/PineGrosbeak#5714321561383659458

Purple Finch
http://www.bird-friends.com/pics/PurpleFinch/PurpleFinch0LR.jpg


Kevin Kearns
Lake Mills

-----Original Message-----
From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Kevin Kearns
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 8:12 PM
To: 'Wisbird'
Subject: [wisb] Re: RFI:Finch ID


I would agree whole heartedly with Tom on this ID, I see no reason why it
would be considered a Purple finch. As Tom mentioned, the bird is very rosey
red, there is not a hint of the "purplish" color that you would expect from
a Purple Finch. The wings are almost entirely gray where a PF would have
reddish/purplish highlights throughout and the bill is hefty where Purples
actually have a more pointed bill than a House finch. The facial disc is
very defined with an outstanding dark area, a PF would have a more diffuse
red throughout the area.

Kevin Kearns
Lake Mills

-----Original Message-----
From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of tom prestby
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 7:50 PM
To: little_blue_birdie@xxxxxxx; Wisbird
Subject: [wisb] Re: RFI:Finch ID


Chris and all,

This bird looks like a classic House Finch with a little more red than
normal. Although it is rosier than normal it does not fall outside the lines
for House Finch. Don't let the bill confuse you, the bill can look large in
zoomed in pictures like these, especially depending on the angle. Most
important are the gray wings and gray eyeline and cheek, neither of which a
Purple Finch will have. Purple Finches should have a pinkish wash on top of
the gray in the wings which this bird does not have. This bird does lack
streaking but I don't consider that important for outruling House Finch
either. The shape always seems different too, Purple Finches seem chunkier.
Of all the House and Purple Finches I have seen, I would not think twice
about this being a House Finch.

Tom Prestby
Hayward, Sawyer Cty

> From: little_blue_birdie@xxxxxxx
> To: tcwood729@xxxxxxxxx; wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wisb] Re: RFI:Finch ID
> Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 17:27:40 -0600
>
> Tom and all,
> For reference purposes, Sid's photos are of a Purple Finch.  The bird 
> in
Sid's photos has a larger bill than would be expected on a House Finch, lack
of any streaking at all, brilliant red coloring all the way down through the
chest, flanks and belly, and, most importantly, has a brown line through the
eye which accentuates the red supercilium. I've found this combination of
field marks to be highly reliable when identifying Purple vs House Finch.
>
>
>
>
> Happy Birding! --Chris W, Richland County Interpretive Naturalist
Mississippi Explorer Cruises
> http://mississippiexplorer.com/chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com/
> http://www.nabirding.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/swallowtailphoto
>
> "The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its
first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again
inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living
things breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before
such a one can be again."
>
> (From William Beebe's "The Bird: Its Form and Function," 1906)
>
> > From: tcwood729@xxxxxxxxx
> > To: Wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [wisb] RFI:Finch ID
> > Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 17:17:36 -0600
> >
> > Sidney Hamm's last post about the finch he photgraphed at Bong has 
> > me realizing I have a lot to learn about Finch ID.
> > Because I live in the southern part of the state, I see very few 
> > Purple Finches during the year, and I'm usually looking up at them.
> > Those of
you
> > who
> > live in the northern tier of counties probably see them regularly at
your
> > feeders. Do any of the Purple Finches you see have as much brown on 
> > the crown and cheeks as the bird in Sidney's photo?
> > The House Finches I see around here all have streaking on the 
> > underparts
and
> > this is a major field mark mentioned in the field guides. So,
conversely,
> > does anyone see House Finches with unstreaked underparts as seen on 
> > the photo?
> > I find color to be the least useful ID mark with bird photos on my
laptop.
> > Depending on how I have the screen tilted I can make the bird look 
> > anywhere from the raspberry red of a Purple Finch to the brighter 
> > red of
a
> > House Finch. This is due to the characteristics of an LCD display.
> >  The bill looks large for a House Finch, but perhaps that is because 
> > Sidney's lens puts the bird right in our face. We can't see the tail
notch
> > which would help with the ID.
> > Thanks in advance for any advice.
> >
> > Thomas Wood, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha County
> >
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