Photographed in Rock Creek Park, DC last April, 2022, these finches are quite common throughout much of the contiguous US and Hawaii, and Mexico. Some interesting facts from Cornell University's allaboutbirds.org: "The red of a male House Finch comes from pigments contained in its food during molt (birds can’t make bright red or yellow colors directly). So the more pigment in the food, the redder the male. This is why people sometimes see orange or yellowish male House Finches. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps raising the chances they get a capable mate who can do his part in feeding the nestlings."

Hi Charles,

 

another appealing bird capture, this time in a hawthorn bush that makes for a notably strong foreground and sets the finch apart. I like the accompanying note that is also educational. I like the colors and composition. I get the same vibe from (the lack of) the sharpness as in the flycatcher image. I think you could experiment with other sharpening software or methods and get better results. Kind regards, Vincent

Thanks Vincent, always appreciate your support and thoughtful comments. Very best, Charles.