The
true finches are
passerine birds in the
family Fringillidae. They are predominantly
seed-eating
songbirds. Most are native to the
Northern Hemisphere, but one
subfamily is
endemic to the
Neotropics, one to the
Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily –
monotypic at
genus level – is found only in the
Palaearctic.
Finches are typically inhabitants of well-wooded areas, but some can be found on mountains or even in
deserts. They are primarily
granivorous, but
euphoniines include considerable amounts of
arthropods and
berries in their diet, and Hawaiian honeycreepers
evolved to utilize a wide range of food sources, including
nectar. The diet of Fringillidae
nestlings includes a varying amount of small arthropods. True finches have a bouncing flight like most small
passerines, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well and several are commonly seen
cagebirds; foremost among these is the
domesticated canary (
Serinus canaria domestica). The nests are basket-shaped and usually built in trees, more rarely in bushes, between rocks or on similar substrate.
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finch
