Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 6.3 in
16 cm - Wingspan
- 9.8–10.6 in
25–27 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.2 oz
24–34 g
Other Names
- Roselin de Cassin (French)
- Gorrión de Cassin (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The male Cassin's Finch stays in its female-like plumage during its first breeding season. It sings like an older male and may give the false impression that both sexes sing.
- The Cassin's Finch is an accomplished mimic, often adding the calls of other species into its own songs.
- The Cassin's Finch breeds semicolonially, with nests on average about 25 m (82 ft) apart. Nests sometimes may occur within 1 m (3 ft). If the nests are this close the males usually fight until one of the pair gives up. If the first nest is substantially earlier than the other, however, such close nesting may be tolerated.
- The Cassin's Finch craves salt, and is often found visiting mineral deposits on the ground.
Habitat
Forest
- Breeds in open coniferous forests in mountains.
- Winters in similar habitat, but at lower elevations.
Food
Seeds
Buds, berries, fruits, seeds, and some insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- Light greenish blue, speckled with dark spotting at large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sooty gray down.
Nest Description
Nest an open cup of twigs, rootlets, weed stems, and lichens, lined with fine rootlets, grass stems, hair, or feathers. Nest placed on lateral branch of conifer.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages mostly on ground.
Conservation
Near Threatened
Declining trends in many areas may represent normal fluctuations.
Credits
- Hahn, T. P. 1996. Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii). In The Birds of North America, No. 240 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.