Many mistake the House Finch for a House Sparrow, but it isn’t. Same size, yes. Both finches, yes. But the House Finch is a much nicer bird. For starters its nest contains only four eggs, not the pullulating excess of the House Sparrow. The males in season have the red (sometimes pumpkin) throats. The females not.
A delicate cup-shaped nest in a cholla. Compare this to the amorphous mess of the House Sparrow. (The House Sparrow is an import from Europe. It was brought in to eat an infestation of caterpillars in Central Park. Apparently no one realized the birds were seed eaters when not feeding their young.)
