finch

/fɪntʃ/

/fɪntʃ/

Other forms: finches

A finch is a small songbird with its defining characteristic being its short, stout bill that is perfect for crushing seeds.

Though small, the finch is a bird that made a major contribution to science. In the 1800s, biologist Charles Darwin studied several species of finches found on the Galápagos Islands, taking detailed notes about their variations. His observations of these little birds greatly contributed to Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution. Finches are found in various habitats, from woodlands to urban gardens, and they primarily feed on seeds.

Definitions of finch

1. noun

   any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds
   types:

   Fringilla coelebs, chaffinch

   small European finch with a cheerful song

   Fringilla montifringilla, brambling

   Eurasian finch

   Carduelis carduelis, goldfinch

   small European finch having a crimson face and yellow-and-black wings

   Carduelis cannabina, linnet, lintwhite

   small Old World finch whose male has a red breast and forehead

   Carduelis spinus, siskin

   small yellow-and-black Eurasian finch with a sharp beak

   Carduelis cucullata, red siskin

   South American species of scarlet finch with black head and wings and tail

   Carduelis flammea, redpoll

   small siskin-like finch with a red crown and a rosy breast and rump

   Carduelis hornemanni, redpoll

   small siskin-like finch with a red crown

   New World goldfinch, Spinus tristis, goldfinch, yellowbird

   American finch whose male has yellow body plumage in summer

   Spinus pinus, pine finch, pine siskin

   small finch of North American coniferous forests

   Carpodacus mexicanus, house finch, linnet

   small finch originally of the western United States and Mexico

   Carpodacus purpureus, purple finch

   North American finch having a raspberry-red head and breast and rump

   canary, canary bird

   any of several small Old World finches

   serin

   any of various brown and yellow finches of parts of Europe

   Loxia curvirostra, crossbill

   finch with a bill whose tips cross when closed

   Pyrrhula pyrrhula, bullfinch

   common European finch mostly black and white with red throat and breast

   junco, snowbird

   small North American finch seen chiefly in winter

   New World sparrow

   sparrow-like North American finches

   bunting

   any of numerous seed-eating songbirds of Europe or North America

   grosbeak, grossbeak

   any of various finches of Europe or America having a massive and powerful bill

   Cardinalis cardinalis, Richmondena Cardinalis, cardinal, cardinal grosbeak, redbird

   crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male

   Pyrrhuloxia sinuata, pyrrhuloxia

   crested grey-and-red bird of southwest United States and Mexico

   towhee

   any of numerous long-tailed American finches

   Hawaiian honeycreeper, honeycreeper

   small to medium-sized finches of the Hawaiian islands

   Serinus canaria, common canary

   native to the Canary Islands and Azores; popular usually yellow cage bird noted for its song

   Junco hyemalis, dark-eyed junco, slate-colored junco

   common North American junco having grey plumage and eyes with dark brown irises

   Pooecetes gramineus, grass finch, vesper sparrow

   common North American finch noted for its evening song

   Zonotrichia albicollis, white-throated sparrow, whitethroat

   common North American finch with a white patch on the throat and black-and-white striped crown

   Zonotrichia leucophrys, white-crowned sparrow

   finch with black-and-white striped crown

   Spizella passerina, chipping sparrow

   small North American finch common in urban areas

   Spizella pusilla, field sparrow

   common North American finch of brushy pasturelands

   Spizella arborea, tree sparrow

   finch common in winter in the northern U.S.

   Melospiza melodia, silver tongue, song sparrow

   small songbird common in North America

   Melospiza georgiana, swamp sparrow

   North American finch of marshy area

   Passerina cyanea, indigo bird, indigo bunting, indigo finch

   small deep blue North American bunting

   Emberiza hortulana, ortolan, ortolan bunting

   brownish Old World bunting often eaten as a delicacy

   Emberiza schoeniclus, reed bunting

   European bunting inhabiting marshy areas

   Emberiza citrinella, yellow bunting, yellowhammer

   European bunting the male being bright yellow

   Emberiza aureola, yellow-breasted bunting

   common in Russia and Siberia

   Plectrophenax nivalis, snow bunting, snowbird, snowflake

   white Arctic bunting

   Hesperiphona vespertina, evening grosbeak

   North American grosbeak

   Coccothraustes coccothraustes, hawfinch

   a common large finch of Eurasia

   Pinicola enucleator, pine grosbeak

   large grosbeak of coniferous forests of Old and New Worlds

   Pipilo erythrophthalmus, cheewink, chewink

   common towhee of eastern North America

   Chlorura chlorura, green-tailed towhee

   towhee of the Rocky Mountains

   mamo

   black honeycreepers with yellow feathers around the tail; now extinct

   type of:

   oscine, oscine bird

   passerine bird having specialized vocal apparatus