Kathleen Hunt asked about Purple x House Finch hybrids last week. I let it
pass while dealing with my pile of messages yesterday but thought it was an
amazing coincidence when today we received a beautiful male hybrid at the
Slater Museum. It's superficially like a House Finch (HOFI), with streaked
flanks and red breast and rump, but the red is a bit more toward Purple
Finch (PUFI) color. Most of the head is red, including a very bright crown
(checked a whole tray of HOFIs and found nothing like that), and there is a
substantial wash of reddish on the unstreaked back. The bill is
conspicuously larger than in a typical HOFI, pretty much PUFI size. I
don't see what else it could be. Check those finches at your feeders!

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416