Cassin’s Finch
Haemorhous cassinii
The Cassin’s Finch’s breeding habitat is in coniferous forests of mountains in western North America as far south as northern New Mexico and Arizona; also Southern California near Baja California. They nest in large conifers, and move to lower elevations in winter.
Most taxonomists regard the Cassin’s Finch as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
There is a strong resemblance among House Finches, Purple Finches, and Cassin’s Finches. One identifier I’ve found useful in setting the Cassin’s Finch apart from its cousins, is the conical shape of its bill. When seen in profile, the lines over the top and bottom of its bill are straighter than either the Purple or the House Finch. Literature sometimes mentions size difference, tail shape, and wing length as keys for identifying this trio, but such traits are often concealed or difficult to compare. However, I feel the bill shape is a more reliable key.
In May-2016 I was exploring the eastern Sierras, and I stopped at Mono Lake, which has provided many memorable bird encounters over the years. I’d not left the parking lot when I noticed a flurry of bird activity in a large nearby tree. The first species I identified were Pine Siskins as they hung, penduline-like, feeding on the blooms of the tree. While I collected siskin images, I recognised some of these grazers, though similar in appearance, were larger. It was only then I realized these were Cassin’s Finches. This tree hosted as many Cassin’s Finches as Pine Siskins. It was lovely!
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: (Haemorhous cassinii) Taken at the Waterhole. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-08-04. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:04 17:51 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_8179CassinsFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:31 10:07 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7791CassinsFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: This Juvenile bird still has remnant downy feathers. Captured during one of my trips I've taken to the Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain in Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-07-26. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:26 14:42 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7526CassinsFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: (Haemorhous cassinii) Captured during one of the many trips I've taken to the Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain in Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-07-26. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:26 13:52 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7466CassinsFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: (Haemorhous cassinii) Taken in Aspendell, California. West of Bishop in Inyo County USA 2009-03-13. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:13 16:56 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: jcd4562CassinsFinch |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: (Haemorhous cassinii) Taken in Aspendell, California. West of Bishop in Inyo County USA 2009-03-13. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:13 16:29 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1499 |
File Name: jcd4456.CassinsFinch |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: (Haemorhous cassinii) Captured during one of the many trips I've taken to the Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California USA 2014-06-06. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 12:15 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X5151-CassinsFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:07 9:32 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X5722-CassinsFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 13:49 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X5356-CassinsFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:04 17:53 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 600 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_8191CassinsFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:11 9:13 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D722285-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:10 17:07 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D722073-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:49 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1542-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:52 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1599-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:10 16:29 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D722000-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:55 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1629-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:53 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1613-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:52 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1573-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:46 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1509-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:23 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X7022-CassinsFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:16 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X7009-CassinsFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:25 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X7035-CassinsFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:31 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X7044-CassinsFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: Feeding on a Siberian Elm at a roadside stop north of Lee Vining California along Highway US-395 USA 2016-05-08. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 10:32 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1438-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:11 9:56 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D722373-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:10 17:10 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D722079-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Cassin's Finch(Haemorhous cassinii) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:10 17:28 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D722171-CassinsFinch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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