House finch (male)

Description:

This male had a red face, upper chest, and lower back. Otherwise, it was grey with darker streaks. The male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is related to its diet.

Habitat:

Spotted in a thick blackberry patch along the beach at Cresent City, California.

Notes:

From Bird web: The vast majority of the House Finch's diet is vegetable matter--seeds, buds, berries, and nectar. They feed their young regurgitated seeds. They eat a few small insects, especially aphids, but are primarily seed- and fruit-eaters at all times of the year.