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House Finch


House Finch
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-02-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Eos 300D Digital Rebel, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): !Birds of a Feather [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-03-08 7:24
Viewed: 3265
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This House Finch was captured at Police Point Park in Medicine Hat.

House Finch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Fringillidae

Genus: Carpodacus

Species: C. mexicanus
The House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a medium-sized finch.
Adults have a long brown tail and are a brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep grey on the wing feathers. Breast and belly feathers may be streaked. In most cases, adult males have a reddish color to their heads, necks and shoulders. This color sometimes extends to the stomach and down the back, between the wings. The male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is derived from the berries and fruits in its diet. As a result, the colors range from pale, straw yellow, to bright orange, to deep, intense red. Adult females have brown upperparts and streaked underparts.

These birds are mainly permanent residents; some eastern birds migrate south. Their breeding habitat is urban and semi-open areas from southern Canada to Mexico.

House Finches forage on the ground or in vegetation. They primarily eat grains, seeds and berries, being voracious consumers of weed seeds such as nettle and dandelion; included are incidental small insects, such as aphids and plant lice. They are frequent visitors to feeders throughout the year, particularly if stocked with sunflower seeds or Nyjer/thistle seed, and will congregate at hanging Nyjer sock feeders. They are considered a pest in fruit orchards.

Nests are made in cavities, including openings in buildings, and also on various kinds of vegetation, sometimes nests abandoned by other birds will be used. Nests may be re-used for subsequent broods or in following years. The nest is built by the female, sometimes in as little as two days. It is well made of twigs and debris, forming a cup shape, usually 1.5m to 2m above the ground.

Eggs are laid from February through August, two or more broods per year with 2 to 6 eggs per brood. The eggs are a pale, bluish-green with few black spots and a smooth, somewhat glossy surface. The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 14 days and the young leave the nest about 11 to 19 days after hatching. Dandelion seeds are among the preferred seeds fed to the young.


During courtship, the male may present the female with choice bits of food and, if she imitates the posture of a hungry chick, he may actually feed her. The male may also feed the female during the breeding and incubation period.
Tamrock, SelenE, fartash, Silke, Argus, snowfalken, jaycee, Maite, ramthakur, wallhalla15, bobair, saeedabbasi, Shoot_Score has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • pvb Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 385 W: 16 N: 531] (1981)
  • [2007-03-08 7:27]

Hi Rick,
This is a very nice bird you have captured. I like the composition and pov. The colours of the bird are a very nice against the grey sky. Great dof and focus.
Thanks very much for sharing.
Paula

hi rick!
not the perfect background but
a sharp and fine shot on the finch
fine composition and great pov
like the pose too!
well done!

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2249 W: 65 N: 4205] (13972)
  • [2007-03-08 8:35]

Hi Rick,
Your POV and composition is nice. I liked the pose of the House Finch. TFS
Selen

Hello Rick
Wonderful shot of this House Finch,
Great composition and BG,
Perfect sharpness,
Welldone.

Regards
Fartash

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 729 W: 98 N: 1707] (5458)
  • [2007-03-08 9:38]

Wow, colourful little creature, Rick and you've captured it with truly superb details and in an exquisite composition.
TFS
Silke

Hey Rick,

Nice job with this. I think your have given a good representation of the bird in its habitat. The light although not great has given an interesting atmosphere to the shot and made it quite cold. The colours are natural and you have composed it all well. Perhaps a wider aperture could have thrown the background more out of focus.

Good work, TFS
Simon

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-03-08 10:17]

Hello Rick,
This is a fine sharp capture of the House Finch with excellent pose and compo.
The BG is pretty good but would have better more blurred.
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

Hi Rick,
Nice House Finch portrayal...
Good compo and colours...
TFS
Annick

Hello Rick,

An absolutely amazing capture of this colorful House Finch! The composition is excellent. First I thought it would look better in a vertical format but now I find this landscape format very appropriate. I just wish there were not so many branches in the background but this wasn't a choice you could make. The pose of the bird looking back into the picture is lovely and keeps the viewer's gaze within the frame!
The excellent exposure allowed you to capture outstanding details! Sharpness is a strong point and the direct eye contact with excellent catchlights just add to the wow factor! A very good posting with great notes! Thanks!

With Friendly Regards,
Eddie

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2007-03-08 11:07]

Hi Rick,

Beautifully colored male House Finch. One bird I am only too familiar with down here. The pose and details are wonderful and I like the BG.

Jane

  • Great 
  • Maite Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 998 W: 65 N: 1270] (5199)
  • [2007-03-08 12:35]

Hi Rick
Wonderful capture of such a beautiful bird. I love the tones in its plumage. Details are sharp and clear and it has very good DOF.
The note is very good and interesting.
My compliments and TFS.
Greetings
Maite

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2007-03-08 12:54]

Hi Rick,

A nice colored house finch although I would call him the fireman,since you captured him at Police Point Park in Medicine Hat so would have all services in one go,anyway very well captured with nice colors,sharrpness,I would however have cropped a bit more from the left side as I think it would improve the composition,TFS

Paul

Wonderful image, Rick.
The focus is spot-on, the colors are delightful and the posture of the bird endearing.
Well done and TFS.
Ram

Rick, this is a great picture. Very nice colours, great sharpness and details. This is a very nice composition. Well done.
Thank you for posting.
Gr.
Heinz

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1114 W: 0 N: 2546] (11425)
  • [2007-03-08 13:41]

Hi Rick
Very nice picture , I also like the composition and the sharpness of your image.Good job
Michel

Hi Rick,
an excellently detailed shot of this finch.I have seen them here in High River this past January but wasn't able to get a good shot of any of them.The colour sings,thanks for your upload. Bob

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-03-08 21:34]

Hello Rick

Super shot of this beautiful House finch.The details you have captured are wonderful and sharp.The beak and head is so well defined.Good colour saturation and nicely composed.TFS

Rob

Wonderful natural colours on this finch! And such a great pose, clinging to this branch! Good one Rick, Tfs, Jay PS NO PP!!! ;)

Hi again dear Rick ,
excellent shot with great composition and nice bird.beautiful colours and nice BG.
well captured
thanks for sharing.
Regards
Saeed

Hello Rick,
And some of those poor creatures suffer from an eye disease, did you know that? This is a beautiful composition and pose captured. Details are very good. I think that the picture could be a little brighter though but it is very nice anyway :) I like those birds a lot :) Thanks,
Claudine

I got a shot of a house finch in the same exact pose and composition, it is unbelievable!!! very good exposures and colours and as always very well controlled BG.

Thanks again

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