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Finches
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HABITAT AND RANGE:worldwide, except Australia and Pacific
Islands, in woods and scrub
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DESCRIPTION:11-19 cm; bill conical, sharply pointed;
wide variety of plumages with various streaking and/or
red or yellow predominating; male often more colorful
than female;
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FOOD:feed on seeds, buds and fruits and some insects
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BREEDING:unusual or unpredictable breeding seasons;
most spp. gregarious and many nomadic; monogamous; 2-7
eggs; biparental care.
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The True Finches, or Fringillids, are a large group of specialized
seedeaters found throughout the world. There are some lovely birds
among them, including the three goldfinches of North America. Until
I did some research for this web page, I admit to being confused between
these fringillid finches, and other types of birds called "finches."
I could never remember, for example, whether Galapagos finches were
fringillids or something else (they are actually more closely related
to cardinals & grosbeaks, and some even place them in their own
family Geospizinae). The word "finch" is also used for some
estrilids (waxbill family), some Hawaiian honeycreepers, and for a
variety of emberizids and related birds. Likewise, some fringillids
are termed "grosbeaks" or "seedeaters," but are
not closely related to traditional grosbeaks or the widespread Neotropical
seedeaters. All "finches," of whatever family, are seed
eaters, but what sets the Fringillids apart are their special adaptations
for dealing with seeds. Fringillids have stout conical bills, strong
skulls, large jaw muscles, and powerful gizzards. All have modified
beaks for holding and shelling seeds. The seed is wedged in a special
groove at the side of the palate and crushed by raising the lower
jaw onto it, as the Chaffinch (below right) is doing. The husk is
then peeled off with the aid of the tongue, releasing the kernel which
is swallowed. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
March
3, 2006