Male House Finch in Black Walnut Tree

A male house finch, showing bright red wash on head, stubby gray bill, and streaked breast, in a black walnut tree, with sturdy gray limbs and young foliage yellow-green in bright sunlight

May 6th, 2006, by Alex Zorach

This photo shows a male house finch perched in a black walnut tree. This photo was taken in Newark, DE in a residential neighborhood.

Male house finches are relatively easy to identify; notice the striped breast, stout gray bill, and the red wash on the head. The only possible species this bird could be confused with are the purple finch which has a more purplish color to the wash, a more vest-shaped color pattern with color extending more down the sides. House finches are very common in residential neighborhoods in Delaware.

Black walnut trees also grow extremely vigorously in Newark, Delaware. Many of them are not planted, but simply come up in unmaintained areas. These trees, naturally growing in floodplains, love the most flat areas with ample moisture that make up the bulk of the residential neighborhoods in and around Newark, DE.