[NatureNS] RE: "female" purple finch?

Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:13:29 -0400
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
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         According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's 
website,  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search :

"Males sing three kinds of songs, all including the rich, slurred 
warbling characteristic of finch songs. There's the "warbling song," 
a fast, rising and falling string of 6-23 notes often sung while 
flocking. Males usually sing a "territory song" alone; it begins with 
a few notes on the same pitch before breaking into warbling and 
ending with a high, emphatic note. The third is an up-and-down 
cadence of 2-5 notes that sounds similar to a Red-eyed Vireo's 
whistled hear-me?-see-me?-here-i-am. Females sing their own songs, a 
long 1-2 minute warbling from the nest. "

         I remember reading that there was uncertainty for some time 
as to whether the females sang at all, since immature males can look 
just like them.  Then someone who was keeping a breeding pair under 
observation, saw the female begin to incubate, and she sang while 
doing so!  That clinched it ...

         Cheers,

         Patricia L. Chalmers
         Halifax



At 11:40 AM 26/02/2010, Jim Wolford wrote:
> >does anyone know whether both sexes sing in purple finches?
> >Purple finches are notoriously variable in just when the young 
> males begin to take on the
> >raspberry-coloured features.  -- I invite comments or corrections?  Lance?

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