Finch is a general term applied to any small seed-eating songbird. Finches include towhees, goldfinches, buntings, and grosbeaks. They live on all continents except Antarctica and on most ocean islands. Their stout cone-shaped bills, strong skulls, large jaw muscles, and grinding gizzards enable these birds to eat hard seeds.
In North America, the term finch usually refers to members of the family Fringillidae. Many of these finches have striking red and yellow colors. These birds also sing beautifully, often while in flight. Finches build closely woven, cup-shaped nests in the branches of trees and shrubs. The female lays three to six bluish eggs that are usually streaked or spotted. She sits on and warms the eggs until they hatch, and the male finds food. Both sexes care for the young.
