Subject: [Tweeters] One more question...this time about house finches
Date: Jan 28 18:12:43 2005
From: Lydia Bishop - gizathecat at verizon.net


That's interesting about diet and coloration of house finches. When I lived
in Bakersfield, CA my backyard was full of the orange and yellow colored
variations. I never realized they were house finches until now!



LYDIA BISHOP

Somewhere between Everett and Lake Stevens, WA



Life Is A Sit-Com On The Reality Side Of The Tube

And When It's Not A Sit-Com, It's a Soap!



-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Kozma
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 8:59 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] One more question...this time about house finches



Hello, Tweeters.



The amount of red coloration in house finch plumage comes from carotenoids
present in their diet of seeds, fruit, and flowers. The amount and quality
of these carotenoids injested during the period of feather development (post
breeding) determines the degree of redness in their plumage. The less
carotenoids, the less red the plumage resulting in orange and yellow
variants. Thus, yellow or orange males may develop red plumage in
subsequent years depending on their diet. Therefore, it is not age related,
but entirely diet determined.



Jeff Kozma

Yakima, WA