We have just come back from a 4 day birding trip to the Yuba Pass area of the Sierras. We plan to post some paintings and photos of birds we took during this trip over the next several days.
You know you are in the western mountains of the United States when you see Cassin’s Finch. The bright red bird is the male. This species is similar in appearance to the Purple Finch, but note the distinct red patch on the crown of the male’s head. The female is identified by the crisp, high contrasting stripes on the breast and belly. The female also has stripes on the under tail coverts. The female Purple Finch has solid white under tail coverts.