Illegal Smuggling
While the most common birds to see in the Cranbrook Quad are the American robin and house sparrow, in the spring a flock of house finches can be found mating in the trees up ahead. With their striking red plumage, they're by far our most colorful visitors near school buildings. However, they aren't originally from Michigan, instead being native to the Western US and Mexico. In 1940 a small population was released on Long Island, NY after a failed attempt to sell them, gaining them the nickname "Hollywood Finches".
Pretty Pigment
House finch's red pigment comes from their diet, leading to some males appearing more orange or yellow. Females will mate primarily with the reddest male, most likely due to red pigmentation being a sign of a strong mate who can feed hatchlings. House finches are also some of the only birds who feed their young solely plant life, as most herbivorous birds still supplement insects into their babies diet for protein.
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