Some finches in cities have learned to use human hair and string to build stronger nests!
Finches - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Finches For Kids
Some desert finches, like zebra finches, can survive in temperatures up to 113°F (45°C) by staying in the shade during hot days!
Some finches in the Galapagos Islands have developed special beaks for eating different types of food!
Desert finches can survive in areas that get less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain per year!
Mountain finches have special feathers that trap air for extra warmth at high altitudes!
Finches in snowy regions grow extra fluffy feathers in winter that make them look 30% bigger!
Some tropical finches build their nests near ant colonies that help protect them from parasites!
Some urban finches have learned to use artificial lights to feed longer during winter days!
Forest finches can navigate through dense trees while flying at speeds up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)!
Some finches have learned to use human buildings as shelter during extreme weather!
Life Cycle
Baby finches hatch from their eggs after just 12–14 days of incubation!
A mother finch lays between 3–6 eggs at a time, each about the size of a small jellybean!
Baby finches are born blind and without feathers, but they grow incredibly fast and can fly within 3 weeks!
Both parent finches help feed their babies, visiting the nest up to 100 times a day!
Young finches learn to sing by practicing for up to an hour each day!
A finch nest takes about 6–8 days to build and is about the size of a tennis ball!
Baby finches double their weight in just the first three days after hatching!
Most finches start building their own nests and laying eggs when they’re about one year old!
Mother finches turn their eggs several times each day to make sure they develop properly!
Young finches stay with their parents for about three weeks after leaving the nest to learn important survival skills!
Female finches can control the temperature of their eggs by adjusting how they sit on them!
Some finch species raise two or three families of chicks in a single breeding season!
Baby finches develop special muscles in their beaks before they hatch to help them break out of their eggs!
Young finches practice flying in their nest by doing special wing exercises!
Adult finches teach their chicks about dangerous predators by making specific warning calls!
Finch parents can recognize their own chicks’ calls among hundreds of other baby birds!
Some finch chicks develop different colored feathers depending on what they eat while growing!
Baby finches learn their parents’ songs while still in the egg!
Diet & Feeding
A single finch can eat up to 500 seeds in one day!
Some finches can crack open seeds that are harder than a plastic toy!
Finches have special ridges inside their beaks that help them hold and crack seeds!
Some finches, like pine siskins, can temporarily store seeds in a special part of their throat called the crop!
Some finches, like zebra finches, can eat up to 30% of their body weight in seeds each day!
Some finches eat upside down to reach seeds that other birds can’t get to!
Some finches help farmers by eating weed seeds that could harm their crops!
Desert finches can extract tiny seeds from cactus fruits without getting pricked by the spines!
Some finches help pollinate flowers while searching for seeds!
Finches can crack open seeds that are harder than some plastic toys!
Conservation & Population
There are over 200 different species of finches in the world today!
The Galapagos finches helped Charles Darwin develop his theory of evolution!
Some island finch species have as few as 100 birds left in the wild!
Conservation efforts have helped save the Nihoa Finch, which now has a protected habitat!
Climate change is causing some finch species to migrate to new areas they’ve never lived in before!
The Zebra Finch is one of the most studied birds in the world, helping scientists understand how birds learn and think!
The Hawaiian Honeycreeper finches are making a comeback thanks to habitat protection!
Unique Regional Variations
Australian finches have developed special beaks for eating the tough seeds of native plants!
South American finches build different styles of nests depending on their local climate!
Island finches often grow larger than their mainland relatives!
