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From: ccrsl@bu-cs.UUCP (Robert S. Lewis Jr.)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: House Finches
Message-ID: <567@bu-cs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 16:15:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.567
Posted: Mon Aug 12 16:15:49 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 02:19:38 EDT
Organization: Boston Univ Comp. Sci.
Lines: 26

I've noticed that the House Finches are the only birds aggressive enough
to stand their ground when attacked by those notoriously aggressive gangs
of House Sparrows that frequent most people's bird feeders.  Fortunately,
while brave enough to resist the attacks of the larger House Sparrow, the
House Finch seems to feel no need to drive birds of other species away from
the feeder.  Hopefully, the house finch will maintain this admirable behavior
in future generations.

Though the House Finch is native to the Western United States, the variety
that is spreading in the East is not from the West, but from Europe
(maybe Britain, but I'm not sure).  It seems that many of the birds introduced
from Europe are more aggressive than native birds.  Could this be a result 
of living for hundreds of years in proximity to another notoriously aggresive
species: a species equally fond of forming noisy, often violent mobs; namely,
one Homo sapiens var. Western?  Hmm....Or is it just that all these species	seem to be first intoduced into New York City.  One certainly can pick up bad
habits there. 

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the Eastern (European) House Finch
meets-up with the Western variety?  Is the Western House Finch as aggressive?
Or is it more like the somewhat shy Purple Finch?  We should all know in about
ten years.
:w