Boulder Purple Finches

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Alan Bell

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Oct 26, 2020, 9:20:14 PM10/26/20
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A female and 2 male Purple Finches came by our feeders north of Boulder this afternoon. The female was around for a while, so I was able to study it. It seemed somewhat in between the e and w varieties pictured in Sibley. Crest; bill not as sharply conical as a Cassins; whitish underparts with dark broad streaking; primary projection longish but not specially long; weak face pattern; narrow white rim under eye, rump light brown with some vague mottling. While I was working on such details, two males suddenly appeared for about half a minute, and didn't return.
Not a bad day--a Prairie Falcon zoomed by in the morning for a bonus.

Alan Bell, Boulder

Amy Roberts

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Oct 27, 2020, 1:01:21 PM10/27/20
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I’m sort of hijacking your thread (sorry about that!!), but since you’re talking about finches: I had this guy in my yard today, hanging with a flock of house finches. I’m not good enough at this yet to say what he is. I think not a house finch, but I’m not sure between purple and Cassins? Any help would be appreciated. 
Thanks! 

Amy Roberts
Ft. Collins
amyrob...@gmail.com




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Carl Bendorf

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Oct 27, 2020, 2:28:52 PM10/27/20
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Looks like a classic Cassin's where the forehead is the most vivid red/pink on the whole birds--combined with the very lightly streaked strawberry-colored breast looks perfect.  The straight culmen (top edge of the upper bill) compared to the curved culmen of a House Finch is also a plus.

Carl Bendorf
Longmont

Amy Roberts

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Oct 27, 2020, 2:56:35 PM10/27/20
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Thanks, everybody, for your input. Unanimous opinion on this one is Cassins. I’m just glad I was right in saying not a house finch! I was going to feel really silly otherwise. Lol. Thanks again!

On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 12:41 PM 

On Oct 27, 2020, at 11:01 AM, Amy Roberts <amyrob...@gmail.com> wrote:

I’m sort of hijacking your thread (sorry about that!!), but since you’re talking about finches: I had this guy in my yard today, hanging with a flock of house finches. I’m not good enough at this yet to say what he is. I think not a house finch, but I’m not sure between purple and Cassins? Any help would be appreciated. 
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