Cassin's Finch
Learn to identify the Cassin's Finch by ear. Master the "Here I am, up in the pine!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Cassin's Finch sounds like
A bright, rolling series of musical notes and trills, often delivered from the top of a conifer. It sounds loose, sweet, and a little improvised.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Cassin's Finch
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Cassin's Finch's sounds in this interactive in-app lesson.
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Where you'll hear it
Cassin's Finch lives in western North America, especially in the Rockies, Great Basin, and other interior mountain ranges. Some stay year-round, while many shift south or downslope in winter.
Look for Cassin's Finches in open conifer forests, pine ridges, and mountain slopes. In winter, they often drop to foothills, desert edges, towns, and feeders.
Spring and summer are the best times to find them high in the mountains, where males sing from treetops. In winter, numbers can vary wildly, and some years they show up at feeders well outside the usual pattern.
How to recognize it by sight
A rangy, mountain-loving finch with a sweet, jangly song and a touch of raspberry red. Males glow pink on the crown and chest, while females are brown and crisply streaked, blending into dry conifers until they hop into view.
Similar species
Purple Finch
Male Purple Finch looks more heavily washed in rosy color, almost 'dipped in juice' from head to chest.
House Finch
Male House Finch usually has red concentrated on the face, throat, and rump, not a crisp rosy crown.
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill has crossed bill tips, built for prying open cones.