6.0 inches long. The House Finch has a conical bill and a long very slightly notched tail. The male has a brown cap and a red forehead, eyebrow, breast, and rump. It has a brown tail and wings. The belly and undertail are streaked. The female has brown upperparts and heavily streaked underparts. The face is rather plain. The tail of the House Finch is less deeply notched than that of the Purple Finch. The male House Finch is told from Purple Finch by the lack of heavy red coloration on nape and back. The male House Finch also has a distinctive red “headband” effect formed by the red forehead and red eyebrow stripes. Female House Finches are told from female Purple Finches by less contrasting pattern overall, with a relatively plain gray-brown face.
The House Finch is a common breeding resident.
The House Finch was originally confined to the west. In 1940 caged birds escaped from Long Island, New York and since then the House Finch has made an explosive expansion westward. It is now a common bird in most backyards. It actively forages on the ground in fields and backyards where it mostly eats seeds but in the summer it eats insects and fruit. Studies have shown that the redder the male the more desirable he is to the female. Its song is consists of varied three note phrases.
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