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Backyard Birds

Field cards gathered under the habitat of Backyard Birds.

Backyard Birds How to Tell a House Finch from a Purple Finch

Fringillidae (true finches, cardueline finches)

House Finch: about 5 to 6 inches long with a wingspan of roughly 8 to 10 inches; Purple Finch: about 5.5 to 6.5 inches long with a wingspan of roughly 9 to 11 inches, slightly larger and chunkier than the House Finch

House Finch: towns, suburbs, farms, parks, backyards, feeders, building ledges and open woodland edges, often in flocks; Purple Finch: mixed and coniferous woodland, forest edges, orchards, wooded suburbs, and winter feeders, especially where conifers such as spruce, fir and hemlock occur

House Finch: a cheerful, warbling song of jumbled notes ending in a buzzy or nasal note, plus a sharp, rising 'cheet' or 'weet' call; Purple Finch: a rich, rapid, musical warbling song often described as a robin-like or wren-like warble, with a distinctive flat, dry 'pik' or 'tick' call note

Few identification puzzles in a backyard are as common, and as commonly fumbled, as the pair of reddish finches that visit feeders in winter and spring. Backyard Birds Why the Northern Cardinal Sings All Winter Long

Cardinalidae (cardinals and grosbeaks)

Approximately 8.5–9.5 inches in length, with a wingspan of about 10–12 inches.

Woodland edges, suburban gardens, thickets, hedgerows, and parks with dense shrubs and trees.

Song is a series of clear, whistled phrases, often transcribed as 'cheer-cheer-cheer' or 'birdie-birdie-birdie'; calls include a sharp metallic 'chip' and a liquid 'tweet'.

The Northern Cardinal is one of the most familiar and beloved backyard birds in North America. Backyard Birds The Chickadee's Alarm Call Is a Winter Flock's Early Warning

Paridae (chickadees and titmice)

About 4.5–5.5 inches long with a wingspan of 6–8 inches

Deciduous and mixed woodlands, forest edges, parks, and backyards with trees and shrubs

A clear whistled fee-bee or chick-a-dee-dee call, plus a harsh alarm note

The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most familiar and welcome visitors to winter feeders across northern North America.

Other habitats

Backyard Birds 3 field cards Birds of Prey 3 field cards Waterbirds 3 field cards Woodland Birds 3 field cards Open-Country Birds 3 field cards