"Houses Have Shingles"

Day 194: How do you tell a House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) from a Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)? It's easy! Houses have shingles, which is to say that the breast is streaked with dark markings, whereas the Purple Finch has a clear breast.

Roger Tory Peterson describes Purple Finch as looking like "a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice," a description which endears them to me. They are primarily a three-season bird, although some are reported to winter in the area. Like my other "yard birds," they love the protection offered by the contorted filbert.