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House Finch Print

from $39

Fine-art House Finch plate in the Audubon style. The streaked female, on a branch of apple blossom.

Each print is made to order. You can cancel within 12 hours of ordering, after which it goes into production and cannot be cancelled. Secure checkout via Stripe.

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A female House Finch on a branch of apple blossom. Grey-brown above, soft white below, the dark streaking running clean from throat to flank. The pale pink flowers set the bird off without competing. It is a quiet composition - the kind the old folio plates did best. A plain bird, given the attention it rarely receives.

Haemorhous mexicanus is easily overlooked. The male gets the red; the female gets the streaks and very little recognition. Her face carries no strong pattern, no eyebrow stripe, no flash. She is the bird most beginners accidentally dismiss at the feeder, or fold into the general category of “sparrow.” She is not a sparrow. Her bill is conical and curved at the culmen - a seed-cracker built for thistle and dandelion, not an insect gleaner.

What the species is known for, and what this female embodies, is adaptability. House Finches feed their nestlings on regurgitated plant matter rather than the insects most songbirds require. A nest does not depend on an insect bloom nearby. In January 1940, a cage of these birds was released on Long Island to avoid a police raid on a shop selling them illegally as “Hollywood Finches.” Those birds founded the entire eastern population. The species now breeds in every US state and much of southern Canada.

The female on apple blossom is the less-sung half of that story.

A fine-art plate in the tradition of Audubon - the bird as naturalists drew it, without apology for the plainness.

Before you order

How long does delivery take?+

Each print is made to order through our global print partner and shipped from the production lab nearest you - allow a few days for printing plus local tracked delivery.

Can I cancel my order?+

Each print is made to order. You can change or cancel it within 12 hours of ordering. After that it goes into production and can no longer be cancelled, though we will always put right anything that arrives damaged.

What sizes and finishes can I get?+

The available sizes (up to A2) and any framed finishes are shown above. Choose yours before checkout.

Is it ready to frame?+

Yes - each print is sized to fit standard frames. Framed finishes are offered on many prints.

What if it arrives damaged?+

Because each print is made to order, contact us within 14 days of delivery and we will put it right.

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