House Finch, female, with a berry
Haemorhous mexicanus
House Finch · San Diego · 6 March 2026
A female House Finch with a berry in a San Diego garden, in the part of the world the species actually comes from. House Finches were a bird of the deserts and towns of the West, and this is their home range; every one in the East descends from cage birds released on Long Island in 1940, sold illegally as "Hollywood finches" and let go ahead of a raid.
A plain streaky brown finch without the male's red head and breast. His colour comes from carotenoid pigments in the diet rather than from sex alone, and a male raised on poor food can end up drably orange or yellow instead of red.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.