"I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven."
Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Not a Common Sight: A Female House Finch feeds a begging Lesser Goldfinch

Mistaken Identity? An unusual sight at the feeder. Photo taken July 15, 2011 by J.J. Meyer
I sent this photo to Cornell Lab of Ornithology asking if this behavior is common.
Here's the response from the science editor:
"Not AT ALL common! But pretty cool! I wonder if the House Finch has eggs, nestlings or recently fledged young somewhere, or if she lost her young. Her hormones are primed to feed begging young, and although they're smaller than House Finch fledglings and the wrong color, the young Lesser Goldfinches do make similar begging sounds that she'd respond to."
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Happy birding,
J.J.

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