What kind of birds are these?

**WV_mom_of2** · 03-02-2009, 03:14 PM

Does anyone know anything about birds? I have this huge feeder on my front porch and every year I feed the birds sunflower seeds. This winter I've been seeing these small yellowish/green birds. There are about 20 of them and they get in the feeder and sit together and eat. They are kind of mean to the other birds too LOL.

Then this morning there are these beautiful red birds that we've never had. I tried looking in in my bird book and I think the yellow ones might be warblers and the red ones purple finches. Does anyone know for sure? The pictures of the red birds are hard to see but they are bright red(not cardinals) with stripes down their backs.

I also have sparrows, chickadees, cardinals, tufted titmouse, bluejays, nuthatches and a big ole redheaded woodpecker! It's times like this that I really miss my Grandma. She loved birds and I could have taken the pictures in to her and she would have known what they are!

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**Spirit Deer** · 03-02-2009, 03:24 PM

The yellow ones are goldfinches. The males will be bright yellow in the summer.

The red ones look like purple finches to me, but it's hard to tell from the pics.

We've had goldfinches all winter by the ton. They've gone through a fortune in thistle seed. We also have hairy woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers (not at the feeders, but I hear them out in the woods), hoary woodpeckers, blue jays, common redpolls, nuthatches, chickadees, and whiskey jacks, to name a few. It's fun to watch them.

We had some misguided ducks on a river near us about a month ago, but they went back south. Or somewhere.

We have little red squirrels, flying squirrels at night, and the occasional pine marten, too.

**WV_mom_of2** · 03-02-2009, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by Spirit Deer

The yellow ones are goldfinches. The males will be bright yellow in the summer.

The red ones look like purple finches to me, but it's hard to tell from the pics.

Thanks! My dh thought the yellow one might be finches but they looked more like the warblers in my book. It's so hard to tell by looking in a book. And they are really more greenish than yellow right now too. There are TONS of them in the feeder and they are mean! I think the reds ones are purple finches too from the pictures in my book.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-02-2009, 04:01 PM

We have a tube feeder that holds about twenty of the little guys, plus they're all over the deck eating the food that's spilled from the feeder, eating out of the sunflower feeders, and tons more of them out in the trees too. They do come in huge flocks sometimes, and you're right, they're cranky little beasts.

**cab54** · 03-02-2009, 04:02 PM

Yeah, definitely finches.

**UUMomof3** · 03-02-2009, 05:21 PM

Goldfinches do look more green than gold in the winter, but the males especially will start changing their plummage soon.

The others look more like purple finches than house finches.

**CommanderKeen** · 03-02-2009, 11:03 PM

Yep. Purple finches and goldfinches. The brown ones are probably female purple finches, they tend to travel in groups.

**CommanderKeen** · 03-02-2009, 11:04 PM

Oh and if you come up with a thistle feeder those goldfinches will go NUTS boy.

**Debbie-cat** · 03-03-2009, 12:44 AM

Yep, finches. They are so cute too!

**WV_mom_of2** · 03-03-2009, 08:00 AM

Two of the mysteries of the world......

Why are purple finches actually bright red

Why do redbud trees bud and bloom purple ???

LOL

**Trishagirl** · 03-03-2009, 08:12 AM

Yes finches love the thistle food. Purple finches are also called house finches. They are piggies eat lots! thistle is expensive over a $1 a lb. I feed them here and they keep me busy. I love to watch the white breasted nuthatches they eat upside down it's so funny! I also have a suet feeder for my woodies!

**WV_mom_of2** · 03-03-2009, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Trishagirl

Yes finches love the thistle food. Purple finches are also called house finches. They are piggies eat lots! thistle is expensive over a $1 a lb. I feed them here and they keep me busy. I love to watch the white breasted nuthatches they eat upside down it's so funny! I also have a suet feeder for my woodies!

There are so many with the sunflower seeds that I'm afraid I'd be overrun if I tried the thistle seed LOL. I have the nuthatches too and they are funny to watch! And I love the big redheaded woodpecker that comes into the feeder. He scares all the other birds off when he flies in!

**mombottoo** · 03-03-2009, 09:00 AM

I recognized the goldfinches right away...the ones with the red on them are hard to see...do they have darker feathers too? I thought they kind of looked like Red Poles...we get those at our feeders.