The Differences Between Male & Female Finches

Finches come in many different varieties, and they are quite common in North America. They are a favorite around home birdfeeders because of their varied and bright coloring and happy-sounding song. Finches are fairly small birds that can be found in residential areas as well as their native habitats, which range from woods and meadows to deserts. There are definite differences between the male and female finch that make telling them apart easy.

  1. Color

    • As with many bird species, the male finch has more coloring than the female, and it is the easiest way to differentiate the two. The color and pattern will depend on the variety of finch. The male house finch, a common finch in many areas of North America, has a bright reddish-orange head and breast and thick brown on its flanks, while the female house finch is varying shades of brown on her entire body. In some cases, the male house finch may have yellow-orange markings rather than red. The color in the male finch's feathers comes from pigment in its food during its molting stage. Females seek out the reddest male they can find to mate with, possibly because it shows that the male is successful at finding food. Several types of finches like the purple finch, Cassin's finch and the pine grosbeak all have similar reddish color patterns. American goldfinches, found in all regions of the United States and much of North American, display a yellow and black coloring. Males become a brilliant yellow with black markings in the spring and summer, while females and winter males are dull yellow to olive colored. During winter it may be difficult to tell the male and female apart, but there's no mistaking a male goldfinch in the spring.

    Song

    • Male finches are the primary singers, which they do to help attract females. Male house finches, a common North American finch, sing a long, warbled song made up of short notes without a notable pattern or melody. Some males sing throughout the year. Females will occasionally sing a much shorter version of the song. Male purple finches, which are similar to house finches, sing more varied songs, including a warbling song and a territory song. The female purple finch sings her own nest song that is longer than the female house finch's. The American goldfinch male sings energetically in the spring, even though it does not nest until mid-summer. Male and female mates will often sing an identical call while in flight. While males still do most of the singing, the female will give out a call when her mate is approaching the nest with food for her baby birds.

    Size

    • Although there is not a significant size difference between the male and female finch, a male may appear larger because of his coloring. When a male approaches a female finch for courting, he will puff out his feathers to appear larger, and therefore more appealing to her.