Did you know that finches stay in Michigan for the winter? Yes! They are primarily only caught outside of the breeding seasons and have been seen especially in most Northern areas. Finches do this since during winter they are scarce.
Finches in Michigan are not limited to different kinds of beautiful finches like the population of House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin, Hoary Redpoll, White-winged Crossbill, and Red Crossbill. The very common of all populations of finch species are always found in Michigan.
The most popular ones can be found among the American Goldfinch. While some are from other foreign places and not quite native to Michigan, these include House Finches.
Today, there are over 103 unique state parks in Michigan and there are 5 national parks you can visit too, these places feature a good place for bird watchers in Michigan mainly in the Eastern part of the Upper Peninsula.
If you are up for furious adventures, you can try various sightings of finches only here. If you want to grab some knowledge about 8 species of finches in Michigan, simply read below for tips and tricks on how you can attract them in the garden or just appreciate their beauty and distinct features that make them belong and stand out even more.
List 8 Species of Finches in Michigan
House Finch
House Finch is a type of bird in the family of Fringillidae. It is native to western North America and has been introduced already a couple of times to the eastern half of Hawaii. It has a lifespan of 11 years to 7 months in the wild, even much probably they live a shorter life.
Their nests can be a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees or cactus and ledges of rocks. They can nest in or on certain buildings, they use sites like street lamps, hanging planters, and ivy. House Finches use the abandoned nests of other birds.
Adult males of House Finch are kind of rosy and red around their face and their upper breast, with a steaky back that is colored as brown, as well as their tail and belly. While adult females of House Finch look like they are mostly plain in grayish-close to brown with thick, kind of blurry streaks and an indistinctly marked face.
They are very prone to being adaptable birds, like house sparrows. They are known to be highly social and non-territorial songbirds.
Expert Tip: Be careful not to get them near Cooper’s hawks and those sharp-shinned hawks, they are preyed on by these especially domestic cats.
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch is a type of bird that belongs to a small North American bird finch family. It is popular for being the bird that is migratory, it ranges from mid-Alberta all the way to North Carolina during the season of breeding, and during the winter season, they can be found all the way to the south of Canada to the United States border.
Their habitats are weedy fields and floodplains, they can be seen always in cultivated locations, roadsides, backyards, and even in orchards. They are abundant feeders, especially during the winter seasons. They love to nest in shrubby, open areas with tall green grasses.
They have an attitude of being gregarious during the non-breeding season, especially on males, they are most dominant in the non-breeding season. Their colors are also bright and yellow, they also have a forehead that is black as they do have wings that have white markings and patches above and even beneath their tail.
Adult females mostly are found duller in their yellow color beneath and on their above they have an olive color. What’s so special with American Goldfinch is that they have a very delightful liquid twittering song and call and they also love sunflowers.
Purple Finch
Purple Finch are birds that are also found in the Fringillidae family, they nest at limbs of a coniferous tree. Their lifespan lasts for 3-4 years. Their predators are commonly barn owls, cats, and even dogs. They are called purple finch because they spark a color of purple.
Currently, they are not extinct and you can still find them in the North and the East along the Pacific seaboard. But they are so rare in Rocky Mountains regions.
Expert Tip: You can always find them in trees and ground in open woods areas. To attract these birds, you have to have black oil sunflower seeds, because these are their food choice.
Adult purple finch has short-forked and brown wings and tails, if you ever spot them do attract them. There are also adult males that are raspberry red in the color of their heads back, rump, breast, and their backs are usually streaked.
Meanwhile, adult females have a lighter brown streak and they have a white line on their faces above their heads. Feed them seeds, berries, and insects. They love these as well.
Common Red Poll
Common Red Poll is also known as mealy redpoll, they are species that can be found in the finch family. It mainly breeds in areas located in the Arctic redpoll, they do inhabit thickets or shrubs. They can stand more cold weather than any songbird, which makes them a lot more special.
They may look like a tiny bird that weighs an ounce, but they have the ability to comfortably adapt to cold weather since the majority of their entire life is allocated to that kind of living. Did you know that there are three current species of redpoll? Yes! We have our very own Common, and the other two Hoary and Lesser.
They can be found in areas in the Arctic. Common Redpolls usually eat seeds that are sized into small bills. If you are wondering where can you find their other family species, you can search for them in Scotland. In Northern and Eastern England and Wales, there you will see fewer common birds.
They are very rare and have white rump and underparts. To attract them, hang a thistle or even a Nyjer feeder. Common Redpoll loves these. Be sure to do this when they are arriving in groups.
Pine Siskin
Pine siskin are birds that can be found in North American finch families. They are known to be irruptive and have erratic winter movements. Their length goes at 5 inches, they are seldom overlooked when mixed with other winter flocks of American Gold Finches, but they are actually just good at resembling them.
Did you know that since 1970? their global breeding population is 38 million? Yes, that’s true! Now, to identify siskin birds, know that they are small songbirds, that have very sharp, pointed bills, and a very particular distinct short notched tail. They are as small but as lively as they seem.
The male siskin is kind of streaky in yellow-green color and it has patches in the wings and tail as well.
Expert Tip: What’s more special about them is that they may lack in having a pretty plumage, but they are very friendly.
Hoary Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll birds are mainly being fed with a whole range of seeds. Just like the Common Redpoll, especially during the summertime, they have been spending their time eating insects and spiders. These finches are weighing for about 11-20 kg just like the Common Redpoll.
The Hoary Redpoll is composed of white and grey feathers that can be seen on their heads. During courtship time, did you know that males will serenade females and then will proceed to feed their receptive females to establish a strong foundation of their courtship?
How sweet, isn’t it? Just like the rest of the females, they will build nests during the breeding season, these nests are commonly made up of picked woven grasses. Hoary Redpolls in Michigan as the other finches we have discussed are not so common.
They are rare and special because they can be seen outside, across the most Northern areas of the State especially during the breeding season.
White-winged Crossbill
The White-winged crossbills can be located a whole year-round in conifer forests especially when there are available large crops of spruces or tamarack cones. They are considered gems and treasures of the Northern woods, they are rare and often appear as bounding, in chatter flocks moving between locations of green spruce trees.
Adult males of these species are seen as rose pink males while adult females of these types of population birds can be looked at as greenish. They really love to eat seeds from cones of spruce. And then, during summer, they eat insects, especially budworms, cone worms, along with some spiders, bugs, and even ants.
They are commonly living in Arctic Tundra. And what is so special about them is that they are energetic little songbirds that travel in groups burrow in the snow, and also thrive in the cold. How cool is that?
Expert Tip: They can really do survive temperatures of 65 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. They are just as special as the other birds we knew.
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills are very special birds, they have wings that are so long and so pointed. They have an astonishing build of the body that is nearly covered in colors of deep red and grey feathers, it is curved and it crosses over itself.
These birds usually build a large group of flocks and they will stay together, they will stick with each other even at the end of the breeding season. Breeding pairs of these species will really stay close in the flocks. Oh? how loyal they can be! Did you know that red crossbills are considered monogamous especially in the season of breeding?
These birds can be located all over Michigan, they only have particular regions in north and central in which they go to travel on breeding seasons. Know that these birds are frequent visitors of any garden so you are just as lucky as them if you can attract them with your beautiful gardens.
Just be sure that you have utilized seed feeders and sprinkle them with pine seeds. They love this when they visit.
Conclusion
Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you.
And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure. – Stephen King, Rita Hayworth, and Shawshank Redemption.
There we have it! Introducing, the Finches in Michigan, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin, Hoary Redpoll, White-winged Crossbill, and Red Crossbills once again proved to us that there are so many things we can learn from birds, whether survival, way of living, and even in courtship.
They do have these as well. Today, we learned almost everything about the 8 Species of Finches in Michigan. Make sure that you were able to learn and digest something on this article, and after this, you will appreciate more of your sightings only in Michigan.
Remember, these species all have different features, traits, and physical looks, and all of them can be attracted by anyone. But most of all, we can learn something from them.
To finally end this, we hope that you will carry this bag of lessons from our birds, remember to always take care of yourselves, be present and aware of your surroundings, and by then, you will notice the little things, the details, the differences, and even the beauty that can be found on birds.
It just takes a good eye to do this. Just like the birds, let your colors shine, your hues define you. Seasons are seasons where you can grow and explore so much more. Spread your wings and be confident wherever you may go.
If you have any comments, suggestions, and questions, feel free to drop them down below. Let me know. Let’s have a fun and healthy conversation.
