[EBB Sightings] Yellow Variant House Finch?

	


all,

   yesterday my wife and i did castle rock and saw one of the yellow hf variant males in a flock of bright red ones.  the diet as sole explanation seems too simple.  all these finches are presumably eating the same diet, so why one yellow in their midst???  my guess is that there is something else going on, for instance a genetic variation in the yellow variant which processes the dietary colorants differently.  i know nothing of the scientific evidence that diet determines color in the hfs [i presume it's sound], so maybe i'm all wet, but all ideas would be welcome.

   while on the subject of "explanations".......why the crazy behavior of robins eating ripe pyrocantha berries?  i forget the explanations that i've heard proposed, but i have my own theory [again, wet?].  the behavior of the robins is totally out of character.  they are hyperactive, fly about erratically and "flightily" [pardon], squawking continuously.  in short, they act as tho they're on crack cocaine or meth.  could there be some sort of stimulant in the berries?  has anyone ever checked the berries for same?  IDEAS?  Erudition?  thanks.

bob dailey
 


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:45:23 -0700
Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] Yellow Variant House Finch?
From: calw at mac.com
To: de.lombardi at gmail.com; rhislop at astound.net
CC: sightings at diabloaudubon.com

We?ve had one (assuming it is the same each year) at our feeder in Piedmont.  In the same flock we see from Yellow to orange to dark red.

Calvin Walters

1-510-717-5500
calw at cowalters.com







From: Dave Lombardi 
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:18:04 -0700
To: Bob Hislop 
Cc: East Bay Birds 
Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] Yellow Variant House Finch?

Yes, we had one yellow variant house finch visit our backyard in Rockridge this week (100% positive).

Dave Lombardi
Oakland.

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Bob Hislop  wrote:

Just observing our daily mix of backyard birds and I noticed what looked like a yellow male House Finch foraging among its red cousins.  I'm not 100% positive on this so I was wondering if anyone else has recorded this variant in the east bay?  (I didn't get a very long observation time as the neighborhood feral cat came wandering through on its daily rounds.)

Bob Hislop
Walnut Creek 
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