[Illustration: CARDINAL
(female and male)]
DESCRIPTION: 4″-10″. _Male_—the only _all red bird with a crest_.
_Female_—yellowish-brown with some red, also crested. Both sexes have a
heavy red bill: however, immatures, which resembles females, have dark
beaks.
PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced on several islands since 1929.
Kilauea—Fairly common locally in the drier vegetated areas such as
Kipuka Puaulu. Haleakala—Absent from the park.
VOICE: The song, which may be varied, is made up of a liquid whistled
phrase usually repeated. Note: a sharp _tik_.
Visitors from the eastern states will recognize familiar birdcalls when
a cardinal is nearby. They are usually rather shy birds here, so you
will probably hear them first. Seeds, insects, and fruit make up the
diet of these birds. They are often found in company with the red-billed
leiothrix.
HOUSE FINCH _Carpodacus mexicanus_
(also linnet or papaya bird)
[Illustration: HOUSE FINCH
(female and male)]
DESCRIPTION: 5½″. _Male_—Grayish-brown with rosy red breast, forehead,
stripe over eye, and rump. At Haleakala the color is more yellow than
red. _Female_ and _Immature_—Sparrowlike with a gray-brown back and
dusky-white streaked breast. House finches have thick seed-eating bills.
PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced before 1870. Kilauea—very common in the
drier sections of the park, especially along the Hilina Pali road and at
Kipuka Puaulu. Haleakala—One of the commonest birds in the park both
inside and out of the crater.
VOICE: A rapid, disjointed warbling song, usually lasting several
seconds. Note: one or a series of chirps, more musical than that of the
house sparrow.
This is strictly a social species living in flocks ranging in size from
a few birds to 20 or more. On the Island of Hawaii the introduced house
finch has adapted well to a habitat that is presently unoccupied by any
native resident—the dry grassy regions of the Kau Desert and along
Hilina Pali.
On the mainland house finches are reddish; the same is true for most
Kilauea birds. However, at Haleakala the usual color of the male is
yellow or orange. It seems likely that diet, which is known to affect
pigmentation in bird plumage, rather than heredity, is the cause of this
difference.