Their numbers slowly grew until there was a population explosion. The House Sparrow, originally from Europe, is one of the most well-established invasive species in the United States. Still, they remain one of our most common backyard birds. The house is a relatively small Carpodacus finch with a longish, slightly notched tail, short wings, and a distinctly small bill with a curved culmen. Invasion of the House Finch. The House Finch is a recent introduction from western into eastern North America (and Hawaii), but it has received a warmer reception than other arrivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow. Then, in 1940, a group of captive birds flew to freedom from their New York cages. That’s partly due to the cheerful red head and breast of males, and to the bird’s long, twittering song, which can now be heard in most of the neighborhoods of the continent. House finches are also found in open desert and desert grassland, chaparral, oak savannah, riparian areas and open coniferous forests in the western United States (Pappas, 2002). House finches nest on ledges, on branches of trees, shrubs and cactus and in holes in trees or wall (InfoNatura, 2004). Originally native to only the western United States and Mexico, it has spread rapidly through the east since a small number of caged birds were released in New York in 1940.

Like other invasive birds, House Finch numbers have been on the downturn. Once upon a time, House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) only lived west of the Rocky Mountains. The House Finch, however, is invasive in its own right.

Since 1993, populations have declined 3 percent annually in the U.S. They are especially invasive in agricultural areas. Thanks to their cheery song and bright colors, House Finches have received a …