I am hoping that all you experienced birders out there can help me
understand some interesting behavior that I noticed this summer involving
House Finches and Eastern Bluebirds. I live in Mid-Missouri and maintain
10 nesting boxes used primarily by Eastern Bluebirds. This summer I
noticed that House Finches seemed to follow the Bluebirds all the time.
Never once did I notice the Bluebirds without a group of Finches
following them. They followed so closely and so frequently it seemed the
Bluebirds were getting irritated! I did not notice the finches ever begging
for food from the adults, never noticed the finches calling, never noticed
the finches diving for dropped food, they just seemed to follow the
Bluebirds wherever they went. In fact, they would perch right next to
the BB's (as close as a foot, never more than a few feet away). There
always was at least 4 Finches around, usually 12 or so. The Bluebirds
are wintering here, and the finches still seem to be following them
around! I guess they're following the Bluebirds for a food source, or
perhaps they are just Bluebird wanna-be's?
Thanks for the help!
Julie Lundsted
jlundsted at bjcmail.carenet.org