Cassin's finch (''Haemorhous cassinii'') is a bird in the

finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usu ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

, Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are placed in the genus ''Haemorhous''.

Description

Measurements: * Length: 6.3 in (16 cm) * Weight: 0.8-1.2 oz (24-34 g) * Wingspan: 9.8-10.6 in (25-27 cm) Adults have a short forked brown tail and brown wings. They have a longer

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

than the

purple finch The purple finch (''Haemorhous purpureus'') is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. Taxonomy This species and the other "American rosefinches" were formerly included with the rosefinches of Eurasia in the genus '' Carpodacus''; however, the ...

. Adult males are

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

red on the head, breast, back and rump; their back and undertail are streaked. Adult females have light brown upperparts and light underparts with brown streaks throughout; their facial markings are less distinct than those of the female purple finch. Their breeding habitat is coniferous forest in mountains of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the C ...

as far south as northern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

and Arizona; also

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ag ...

near

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. They nest in large conifers. They move to lower elevations in winter. Northernmost breeding birds migrate south, as do some birds throughout the range of the species; many birds are permanent

resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceutic ...

s, however. Some non-breeding birds winter as far south as central interior

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. These birds forage in trees, sometimes in ground vegetation. They mainly eat

seed A seed is an Plant embryogenesis, embryonic plant enclosed in a testa (botany), protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, includ ...

s, buds and berries, some insects. When not nesting, they often feed in small flocks. This bird was named after

John Cassin John Cassin (September 6, 1813 – January 10, 1869) was an American ornithologist from Pennsylvania. He worked as curator and Vice President at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences and focused on the systemic classification of the Acad ...

, who was a curator at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.

Taxonomy

Cassin's finch, along with the

and

house finch The house finch (''Haemorhous mexicanus'') is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is native to western North America and has been introduced to the eastern half of the continent and Hawaii. This species and the other two American rosef ...

, was formerly placed in the genus '' Carpodacus'', along with the rosefinches of Eurasia. However, the three North American species are not closely related to the Old World rosefinch radiation, and thus have been moved to the genus ''

Haemorhous The American rosefinches that form the genus ''Haemorhous'', are a group of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. As the name implies ("haemo" means "blood" in Greek), various shades of red are characteristic plumage colors of this gr ...

'' by most taxonomic authorities.

References

External links

Cassin's Finch Identification Cornell Lab of Ornithology ("Haemorhous cassinii")
– Cornell Lab of Ornithology {{Authority control Cassin's finch Cassin's finch Native birds of Western Canada Native birds of the Western United States Native birds of the Rocky Mountains Cassin's finch Cassin's finch