Cassin's Finch

Cassin’s Finch

Cassin's Finches are small, somewhat round birds with a short, medium, and notched tail and a large conical bill made for eating seeds. Their wings are longer than most other finches and when perches, the tips of the wings come down to the middle of the tail. Adult males are rosy pink overall with vivid red on the crown. Female and fledgling Cassin's Finches are streaked with brown and white throughout their underparts. Both males and females show a dark brown backside with a streaked undertail.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carpodacus cassinii
CLASSIFICATION: Bird
LIFE SPAN: 4-7 Years
SIZE: 6-6.3” | 0.05-0.075lbs
STATE CONSERVATION STATUS: Priority Species
FEDERAL CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
GAME STATUS: Non-Game
GAME TYPE: None

Washoe
Humboldt
Pershing
Churchill
Mineral
Lyon
Douglas
Carson City
Storey

Elko
Lander
Eureka
White Pine

Esmeralda
Nye
Lincoln
Clark

Habitat & Range

Cassin’s Finches breed in upper elevations of Nevada’s mountains, mostly between 3,000-10,000 feet of elevation. They can also occasionally breed in sagebrush/juniper woodlands, but prefer forests. They winter in the same mountain ranges they breed in.

Alpine forests of the Sierras
Pinyon juniper forests
Upland Forests

Threats

Habitat Loss

Natural History

Cassin’s Finches eat seeds, fruit, and occasionally insects. During spring up to 94 percent of their diet consists of quaking aspen buds; they also eat buds of cottonwood and green manzanita. Nesting is usually greater than 15 feet above the ground in larger trees. They are known to forage in groups.