Red House Finch

Species Information:
Red House Finch (Male)

Family: Fringillidae
Subfamily: Carduelinae
Genus: Carpodacus
Species: C. mexicanus

Description:

This beautiful little bird is very common to the United States and Mexico, found everywhere. It is part of the finch family, which is readily recognizable by its beak. This particular species is commonly known as the House Finch. The males usually have a red crest, although depending on their diet, some may have a yellow crest. They usually eat grains, seeds, and berries, although often consume nettle and dandelion seeds as well. They are usually quite photogenic, and a good, interesting subject for photographers.

Taking the shot:

A beautiful red house finch that was fluttering around a tree in my back yard. He was on the far side when I first saw him...but once he saw me (or possibly my camera) he got quite excited and came over to show off. I had to snap about 15 shots of the little guy to get a this one decent picture, as he was flitting and hopping about in a rage of excitement until he finally flew off.

This is my first bird photograph with my new lenses. The difference between the Canon EF 16-35mm L II lens and my original EF-S 10-55mm kit lens is HUGE. The clarity, even with the tree branches swaying in the wind, is amazing! I'm quite happy with the results, even though the bird was hopping around slightly obstructed for closer parts of the tree, and I was unable to get a clear shot of him. Hopefully I'll get some better shots as the year moves on.