Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site bu-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!bu-cs!ccrsl 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