Bird Study- Finches

This is a purple finch. Isn't it pretty? They are the size of a sparrow, but purple. The female looks like a sparrow as it has very little if any color at all. House finches are very similar in shape and color, but less purple. So pretty. I actually saw this bird in my backyard with the sparrows and couldn't identify it until now. How exciting.

This is a male goldfinch during mating. They become more like the females (below) during the winter months. One interesting fact about finches is that they don't build nests during the spring. While all the other birds are busy feeding their hatched babies, finches are just happily resting. They are seed eaters, and they need seeds to survive. Seeds are usually ripe on mature plants during the summer, thus the wait.