house finch

bird

Also known as: Carpodacus mexicanus, linnet

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) is a small finch native to Mexico and the western United States, with males displaying red on their head, breast, and rump. Finches, in general, are small seed-eating songbirds with conical bills, found widely across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and South America. Many finch species are brightly colored, often with red or yellow, and are known for their singing abilities. The house finch has also been introduced to the eastern United States.12

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rosefinch
The house finch (C. mexicanus), with red forehead band and streaked underparts, is a dooryard bird throughout western North America; it is often called linnet. This species was introduced (1940) on Long Island, N.Y., and is spreading along the Atlantic seaboard; it is also established in…
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The house finch (C. mexicanus), with red forehead band and streaked underparts, is a dooryard bird throughout western North America; it is often called linnet. This species was introduced (1940) on Long Island, N.Y., and is spreading along the Atlantic seaboard; it is also established in…
Read More

good genes hypothesis
…example, female North American house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) prefer to mate with bright, colourful males. Such male finches also have high overwinter survivorship. This preference suggests that mating with such males will increase offspring survival. British evolutionary biologist W.D. Hamilton and American behavioral ecologist Marlene Zuk first proposed this hypothesis…
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…example, female North American house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) prefer to mate with bright, colourful males. Such male finches also have high overwinter survivorship. This preference suggests that mating with such males will increase offspring survival. British evolutionary biologist W.D. Hamilton and American behavioral ecologist Marlene Zuk first proposed this hypothesis…
Read More