What Is This Red Sparrow at my Backyard Feeder?

Twenty-five years ago, many people living in Ontario and nearby provinces and states had grown accustomed to seeing a red or pink “sparrow” at their feeder. The birds cheerful singing brightened up many of my morning walks. Then they were almost wiped out by a disease and these little Western birds became rare again in my part of the East. Recently, though, they seem to be making a come back so you may see a rosy House Finch at your feeder or in your trees, too.

Photo of House Finch Male Red Leaves on NaturalCrooksDotCom

What Sparrow-sized Finch Has a Red Head, Red Cheek, Bright Red Chest, Brown Side Streaks and Red Spot Above the Tail?

Male House Finches are vivid and in some lights can even look as red as a male Cardinal. The strong dark streaks on their lower front and sides are an important identity clue. They have a sturdy, perhaps even over-sized looking bill. And they sing well.

Photo of House Finch Female Branch on NaturalCrooksDotCom

Female House Finches are much less colourful. Their bill and their generous streaking on the front help to identify them. Fortunately, they also are usually hanging out with one or more males to help clarify the id.

Isn’t This a Purple Finch?

Older field guides to Eastern birds may not mention House Finches. They originally were a Western bird but their range has shifted and they are now found throughout North America. According the AllAboutBirds website the eastern birds are descendents of ones released in New York state.

Previously, the only common red finch in eastern Ontario was the Purple Finch. Purple Finches, which are more red than violet, don’t have the generous dark streaks on the front and sides. They are also red on the nape of the neck and down the back onto the tops of the wings. Purple Finches also tend to nest a bit further north than southern Ontario. During migration, though, it’s possible to see a Purple Finch moving through Mississauga or Toronto.

Photo of House Finch Male Singing on NaturalCrooksDotCom
If I ever find an easy way to record sounds well, you’ll be able to hear as well as “see” finches like these singing.

What Decimated the House Finch Population?

A disease called mycoplasmal conjunctivitis swept through the House Finch population, starting in the east, with a noticeable impact starting in 1994. This disease causes red puffy eyes but it also causes respiratory difficulties according to the Cornell website. The disease affected the eyes so badly that many of the infected birds died of hunger or predation.  At the time, bird watchers were told it would be good to disinfect feeders regularly as the disease could be spread to the next bird coming to eat.

There is a lot of information about the disease on this website.

Photo of House Finches Three Row on NaturalCrooksDotCom
House Finches are social as you can see. This added to the rapid spread of the disease.

Apparently, the disease has now swept through the population and although it is still a problem the birds numbers have recovered.

Certainly I have seen quite a few House Finches in the past three years. We have a pair that raises a family in a nest in our back yard. And I’ve seen them in several of the local parks. On a frosty mid-October morning at Riverwood, I found 7 (3 males and 4 females) sunning themselves in an old spruce tree. I hope to see some of them this winter at the feeders there: their red plumage adds a cheerful note.

Photo of House Finch Female Sneer on NaturalCrooksDotCom
Something about the shape of their bills and the set of their eyes makes some House Finches look like they are sneering.

Related Reading

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Do House Finches visit your feeder? Please share your sighting with a comment.

95 thoughts on “What Is This Red Sparrow at my Backyard Feeder?

  1. I live in Ardmore Alabama, we have a pair of the Red sparrow -finch in our yard11 I have never seen one before!! They are beautiful!!!

  2. I just had a male and female at our feeder! Thanks for sharing the information on these house finches! I’m in Merrifield, Minnesota for tracking. I hope they will hang around, they are pretty.

  3. I live in Central NY and this is the first year I’ve seen what I thought was a Red Sparrow at my feeder. Beautiful

  4. We have a white bird & from all the internet descriptions it looks like a house finch or sparrow. When we saw a red-headed house finch feeding him we concluded it was a finch

    • It sounds like it might be a “leucistic” House Finch. Most birds can have a partial or totally white version due to a lack of pigment. It’s not the same as an albino. Albinos will have pink eyes, no colour on the bill, etc. Leucistic birds are much more common than albinos. Thanks for sharing your interesting sighting!

  5. Just spotted a male in my front window. Never seen one before. Staten Island New york 10312. 1/11/18 9:30am

  6. I just saw a red finch at my feeder this morning. I thought it was a female cardinal at first. Made my day. I hope it stays.

  7. A pair of these are building a nest in a wreath by my front door. I feel lucky to watch them each day. They’re beautiful !
    Anybody know if they return each year ?

  8. Oshawa Ontario Canada – just saw a male and female House Finch today April 29 2018 at 1050 am :). Really pretty

  9. I have a pair nesting now on the side of my garage. I have never seen the red sparrow as I called him :) before. Thanks for the information! They are beautiful and sing so pretty. I live by Lake Erie in Oak Harbor, Ohio 5/7/18

  10. I have I assume male and female that made a nest on the top of my column on my back porch. About 12 days ago a tiny egg had fallen down on our patio. They have constantly stayed on this nest. With today or yesterday they mush have hatched. I hear tiny noises. They take turns at the nest and the other returns shortly. Just beautiful. Virginia, Panama City Beach, FL

  11. May 27, 2018 8pm I see a red finch possibly 2 finches at our bird feeder every day. I also see golden finched. Beautiful. My favorite was a finch as bright as the son with the black wings, only this finch had an all yellow head unlike any male I have seen. I know the females are more drab. Anybody know body know about this beautiful finch?

    • Prothonotary warblers look a bit like that but don’t usually visit feeders. It may have been a male Goldfinch with an unusual lack of the black cap, as there is variation in birds. Hopefully anyone else with an idea will comment!

  12. I’m in Fox River Grove Illinois which is a Northwest suburb of Chicago. Just spotted a house finch on my feeder and had never seen one so turned to Google! Beautiful. Thanks for the info on your page!
    Courtney

  13. My sister passed away on 4/13/18 of cancer and we donated her body to Sciene to Robert Woods Johnson.
    On 6/9/18 I received her remains and placed her on a table in my Spare room window. I dedicated this room to my mom who passed away suddenly in 1982. I have a lovely 8×11 framed picture of my mom and two 8×11 pictures of my dad when he was younger, who will be 92 on July 12th.
    Since my sister has been in the room I go into the room crying and talk to her. I apologize telling her we will give her peace with a mass and closure soon.
    When I went in on 6/15/18, there were 2 sparrows on the outside windowsill. At that time I didn’t think anything.
    Then I was telling my girlfriend and she said that’s a spiritual thing… I actually got very emotional because I truly believe, as I have had other signs of her being at peace. One was a butterfly encounter.
    When I came home I researched and found this site.
    When I found the picture of the exact bird It was bittersweet. Crying and laughing at the same time, I was relieved that she was continuing to give me signs that she was at peace.
    Thank you for giving me this information and clearing my head.
    I keep telling everyone we must believe and have faith everyday. To thank God for all he does to get us through these trying times.
    God Bless!

  14. I have 3 of the male finch that comes everyday in my back yard to the bird feeder, I love to sat on my porch to watch them eat & sing.

  15. I’m in Indiana for the summer and have 2 red headed sparrows or finches at my feeder every day…
    What a lovely site to see every morning. Although I haven’t heard them sing.

  16. We put out peanuts and sunflower seeds several times a day we have seen a half dozen males and females wondering what they were thanks for info Rock Island Ill

  17. I had a pair of these (male & female) at my seed block today. The male really is striking! Love seeing them. I thought they were sparrows too. I’m in Pensacola, Florida (panhandle). Thanks for your information!

  18. May 18, 2019. Saw two of these beautiful birds today. I had seen them in April also. Did not know what they were until I Goggled it. I love watching all my birds. I live in Northeast Louisiana near Winnsboro.

  19. I have quite a few that come to feeder all day and everyday. They’re beautiful with very bright red heads and chests. I’m located in Gambrills, MD.

  20. I live in eastern SD. Have just seen one of the red headed birds at my feeder a couple of times. Always glad to see him. windows don’t open but love to se him with the sparrows..I live in a retirement home so have 2 feeders outside my window, that my son keeps filled. Thanks for th info.

  21. This morning we had a House Finch at our feeder. We are located in Saskatchewan. He is often seen in the company of House Sparrows in Summer.

    While he was eating we had 2 pairs of Black Capped Chickadees.

  22. I just has a pair at my humming bird feeder. Never seen them before. The male had the reddish head, the female was plain. St. Louis, Mo. area. April 4th 2020

  23. I have a pair of house finches that love my feeder. I am in northern Alberta in Edmonton. They will sit at the feeder for minutes at a time just picking out the seeds they like. I love watching them and the bright red head and chest of the male in the sun.

  24. Have a pair at our feeder here last night near dusk in Cambridge Ontario
    Thought we have seen them once or twice before but weren’t sure due to the lighting but it is them
    Very pretty

  25. I just saw these today for the first time. Here in Tampa Florida. There was a group of them around my feeder. I thought they were sparrows until I saw the males with their rosy hats and rosy tint on their breasts.

  26. Finally put my feeder out after we started getting snow post-Christmas. Added the remains of my Christmas tree on the ground by it for some additional feeding perches. Started seeing quite a few of these. Glad to know what they are now. Thanks. Western suburbs of Chicago.

  27. I’ve seen House Finches here at my feeders in suburban Chicagoland over the last couple of weeks

  28. Just put up a new feeder this year about a week ago and watching it from inside the window I have a male and female Red House Finch. I have never had them before this year. They are pretty birds and I hope they keep coming back. For tracking: Ashland, IL.

  29. We live in Farmington Hills, Michigan, just north of Detroit. We filled the feeder with black sunflower seeds and the birds came in droves, including these pretty red house finches. We also saw blue jays, cardinals, and an acorn woodpecker.

  30. we have never seen them before – beautiful. Dec 30.2021, bird feeder direct view from kitchen window

  31. This is the second year I have seen them in our feeders, but only in the winter, I don’t see them in the spring and summer months, although perhaps it’s because we tend to feed birds and deer in the winter months when food is scarce, perhaps that is why, they are beautiful, If we would continue to feed in spring and summer do you think they would stay around?

    • Many birds prefer to catch insects including caterpillars in the summer and more-or-less stop coming to feeders. I’m not sure what they would do! I’m glad they are visiting in the winter.

  32. I just saw one in Harleysville, PA!
    I have lots of sparrows at my bird feeder but never saw this little guy before this morning on March 3, 2022!

  33. I was watching a pair this afternoon at our backyard bird feeder. The male chased the sparrows away, then they took turns feeding.

    Sam

    San Antonio, TX

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