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Jennifer Higdon
Hampstead, MD, USA
This bird caught my eye for many reasons. At first I thought maybe it was injured, as it was sitting on our deck railing for a while. It appeared to be basking in the sun. I saw it fly several times, and it didn’t seem impaired. It strongly resembled the other house finch seen in some of the photos, but it’s body is much bigger, and it’s tail is always pointed up whereas regular-looking house finches have tails that point down.
Other
Taken 11/17/18 in Hampstead MD. Note the orange-ish color above the tail, and the tail is pointed up. I watched this bird for quite a while. It flew normally. Note the larger size compared to the house finch on the left.
It’s a house finch for sure – the colour on the rump is fairly normal, though the behaviour is strange.
In case you weren’t aware, you also have a female Purple Finch that is not tagged as one of your species. It’s the one on the back left in the first photo; left in the second last photo. Darker brown and larger bill than the house finches, with a bolder facial pattern. Check out the feederwatch guide on house, purple, and cassin’s finches if you aren’t sure how to tell them apart.
It could be sick
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