What Does a Cassin’s Finch Look Like? Male Cassin’s finches are hardly streaked, lending them a vibrant plumage. “To me, the Cassin’s finch always seems brighter,” says Dusty Downey, conservation ...

House finches show up at bird feeders all year, but on most visits, their plumage is hardly eye-catching. They have dense brown streaking on the underside and a robust conical beak. Both males and ...

Bright colors, however, are not genetically inherited. Like most birds, finches can’t actually make red or yellow pigment. Rather, these molting males incorporate pigments from the foods they eat.

DEAR LORI: The bird appears to have avian conjunctivitis, a bacterial infection that can spread among other birds eating at the feeders. ... it’s called house finch eye disease.