365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Monday, January 9, 2017
No Shingles Here
Day 88: Houses have shingles, therefore this bird is purple.
Okay, I imagine some of you are having a hard time with that statement, but it is perfectly reasonable when you have all the data. This is a Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus). It has a close cousin in House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) and can be difficult to distinguish from it where the two species overlap in range. The key is in observing the bird's flanks and breast. House Finch has much sharper markings; the flanks in particular are patterned with distinct dark streaks, i.e., the "shingles" on the House. If you remember that one key phrase "Houses have shingles," you should have no trouble telling them apart in the field, even if the mnemonic confuses your non-birding friends.
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