Hybridization seems very rare between House Finches (HOFI) and Purple
Finches (PUFI), so while it isn't impossible I suspect it's likely not
driving much variation in Ohio's HOFI population. Chris is likely correct
that coloration variation is most likely driven by factors like age and
diet, not hybridization. After looking around a bit in the literature and
online, I could only find one report of a likely hybrid HOFI x PUFI from
the wild, and one video from a breeder claiming to have produced this
pairing. If you watch that video via the link below, please also read all
the way through this email. :-)

The Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World (accessed via google books here
<http://books.google.com/books?id=MwInO7z_Y3oC&lpg=PA322&ots=cC8oDfrB6-&dq=cockrum%201952%20townsend's%20bunting&pg=PA303#v=onepage&q=carpodacus%20mexicanus&f=false>)
has the following listing for House Finch:

*Carpodacus mexianus* [House Finch] ...
x *Carpodacus purpureus* (♀) [Purple Finch]
NHR (ne U.S). The voice of a probable hybrid was described as similar in
tonal quality, but not pattern, to House Finch. The bird was red in the
same areas as House Finch, but rosier and lacking the orange tones of a
House Finch; white underparts were without streaking, as in Purple Finch.
Wootton 1996 (p.3).


The Wootton reference is to the Systematics section of the Birds of North
America species account for Purple Finch, which reads:

"... Report of a male House Finch consorting with a female Purple Finch and
her fledglings in Allegheny Co., NY (North American Nest Record Card [NRCP]
data), and observation of an intermediate morph between a Purple Finch and
a House Finch (voice similar in tonal quality but not pattern to House
Finch; red coloration in areas typical of House Finch, but rosier and
lacking the orange hues typical of House Finch; underparts white and
lacking streaks, as is typical of Purple Finch) in Philadelphia, PA (K.
Russell pers. comm.)."


Here is a youtube video of the two captive birds (apparently in FL) that
appear to be hatch-year birds and claimed HOFI x PUFI hybrids. The [mostly
racist] comments below the video are NOT worth reading:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTRjRbK64ms&t=22s

I should point out that this appears to be some old guy's hobby bird
collection and not someone exploiting wild birds for profit. According to
the video comments "The gentleman in the video has raise them forever (
according to him 40 years) He bought his first stock when they were being
sold in New york."  Probably illegal, yes, but also probably not worth
loosing sleep over. I doubt wildlife officers in Florida would find much
accomplishment in fining this guy and confiscating his *Carpodacus* (make
that his *Haemorhous*) finches. They seem busy with a lot of bigger
wildlife trafficking problems down there.

Prior to the Migratory Bird Act, House Finches were common pets -- this is
how these natives of the southwest were introduced into the eastern U.S. in
the mid/early 1900s. Obviously, they've done well in urban habitats! ;-)
 Also, people have long bred various finch species with canaries as the
hybrids are sometimes better singers than either parent species (or so they
say). I knew an older couple in CO (friends of my great grandparents) who
bred canaries and would occasionally breed them with House Finches. He
definitely did less harm than the neighborhood cats and picture windows,
and wasn't selling them or anything. He just loved his birds.  I can't help
but think we're seeing the same thing in that video, which in terms of bird
conservation is WAY different from those who profit from the black market
in capturing and selling wild birds from at-risk wild populations.

But getting back to the original issue of Purple Finch genes floating
around the eastern House Finch population, if it's happening it's pretty
rare and has either gone surprisingly undetected or is so rare that it's
not likely the cause of those very PUFI-looking males that Haans has
mentioned. That said, given that these two species aren't all that closely
related, I suspect it would be relatively easy to confirm the ancestry of
putative hybrids if someone took the time and effort to do all the genetics
work.  So if anyone with access to the right resources is looking for a PhD
thesis chapter... ;-)

Good birding,
Paul Hurtado
Columbus, OH

PS: For those of you who are still reading and keeping tabs on the July
birding challenge, I've heard from others who are up in the 85+ range so
far! I'm merely in the upper 20s, but hopefully that will improve
dramatically this weekend :-)



On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 8:51 AM, David Hochadel <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Interesting observations regarding these finches.  The BNA (Birds of North
> America) account of Purple Finch indicates that it is most closely related
> to Cassin's Finch and that House Finch is a more distant relative. They do
> not cite any proven hybridizations with either species. There are two
> possible records of hybridization with Cassin's. They cite two possible
> instances of Purple Finch X House Finch. In one case a male was consorting
> with a female House Finch and her young. The second case was based solely
> on morphological anomolies in a male finch. There is no DNA evidence of
> hybridization cited in the BNA account. These accounts summarize the most
> recent literature for each species and are regularly updated by the
> authors.
>
> Given that it is an extreme northeast Ohio specialty, I have paid close
> attention to Purple Finches for over 30 years, especially during the
> breeding season, and have not seen evidence of mixed pairs.
>
> Considering that House Finches only recently colonized the eastern US it is
> worth studying how they interact and potentially hybridize with closely
> related species. As Haans pointed out they show a lot of variation,
> especially in coloration, which leads to some confusion with non-typical
> individuals. My own feeling is that the two species lead separate lives
> here in northeast Ohio.
>
> Dave Hochadel
> Trumbull County
> On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 6:11 PM, Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Okay so House Finches show a high degree of variation in morphology.
>  From
> > my observation size, shape and plumage can be highly variable. In 1964
> B.P
> > "Pat" Bole found Ohio's first House Finches here in Kirtland, so
> separating
> > House Finch from Purple Finch is something I have been doing most of my
> > life, as both nest here.
> >
> > But I have to say this is becoming increasingly difficult, as I am seeing
> > more and more males who show characteristics of both species.  If not for
> > the curved culmen on some of the more colorful, less streaky,
> individuals I
> > would think I was looking at a Cassin's finch or Purple Finch.  The
> flanks
> > are often colored and nearly lacking in streaks or have very very fine
> > almost non existent streaking if the flanks are uncolored.  Also the
> color
> > of these individuals is not the magenta of a Purple Finch tending to be
> > lighter and less magenta.  I'm also noticing that some streak flanked
> > individuals are showing a straighter culmen than I expect.  Thus far I
> have
> > not noticed a female showing any hint of a supercillium.
> >
> > Given proximity and similarity I wonder how much hybridization is going
> on?
> >
> >
> > For those who live in the NE quadrant of Ohio, where both Purple Finch
> and
> > House Finch are nesting species, I would urge you to pay more attention
> the
> > the variation in House Finches.  Photographing extreme individuals might
> be
> > interesting as well.
> >
> > Haans
> >
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-- 
Paul J. Hurtado
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Ohio State University
Mathematical Biosciences Institute, http://mbi.osu.edu/
Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, http://ael.osu.edu/

E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Webpage: http://people.mbi.ohio-state.edu/hurtado.10

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