Expert: Julia Booth - 6/30/2008

Question
I saw the following on my bird feeder on Sunday:

Size of a finch
Mostly dark brown
Bright red head with black mask
Bright red/orange tail feathers viewed when it flew
No ID ring

I have looked for something similar and came up with Haw Finch but it isn't quite the same.  Could you please identify this bird for me.

Answer
What you're describing actually sounds most like a Purple Finch, whose male bears a mask that is usually dark brown. It's possible that he's an anomaly. Everything else fits. If not -it's definitely in the genus Carpodacus -one of the Rose Finches. But many of them live in Asia and are not marketed here, even as pets.

The Hawfinch is actually a Grosbeak in the genus Coccothraustes, which doesn't have any finches that are red in color.