Differences between House-Finch and Stork

House-Finch and Stork are two classes of birds that belong to the Fringillidae and Ciconiidae families respectively.

House Finch is a medium-sized song bird. It has a flat head, short wings, and long jagged tail. Also known as Linnet, the bird has a cone-shaped beak and thin short legs. The female House Finches have a blackish brown plumage all over their body. However, the male birds have reddish face, neck, and chest. This color, which they get from compounds in their diet, could vary with geography. House Finch is known as an aggressive and intelligent bird. There are about 11 subspecies of them.

Stork is a large wading bird with long legs and long beak. Its beak and legs are usually red in color, while its eyes are grey. The color of its body could be streaks of white, black, and red depending on the geography. The bird’s head and upper neck are usually not covered with feathers. The Stork is almost mute as it has an undeveloped syrinx. The Stork family consists of about 20 species of birds such as Marabou Stork and Adjutant Stork. The family is related to Herons, Ibises, and Flamingos.

Where are House-Finch and Stork found?

House Finches live near streams, in bushes and thickets, and at grasslands, open forests, cities, and suburbs. They are native to western parts of North America, but have been introduced in the eastern regions, the USA, Mexico, and southern Canada.

Storks choose to live near marshes, grasslands, meadows, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are not prevalent across the world. They exist chiefly in Asia, Africa, and Europe. One bird from their species can be found in Australia, while three others occur around Argentina and Florida.

What do House-Finch and Stork eat?

House Finches are mostly herbivores. Their diet chiefly comprises of seeds, berries, cactus, grains, fruits, buds, nuts, and other vegetation. Occasionally, the birds may eat tiny insects.

Storks are carnivores that mainly eat fish. They also feed on reptiles, insects, amphibians, mice, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even small alligators. They generally capture their prey in fields and shallow waters.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between House-Finch and Stork

• House-Finch do not eat Fish while Stork eat Fish.
• House-Finch do not eat Frogs while Stork eat Frogs.
• House-Finch do not eat Lizards while Stork eat Lizards.
• House-Finch do not eat Snakes while Stork eat Snakes.
• House-Finch do not eat Turtles while Stork eat Turtles.
• House-Finch do not eat Squirrels while Stork eat Squirrels.
• House-Finch do not eat Gophers while Stork eat Gophers.
• House-Finch do not eat Baby Ducks while Stork eat Baby Ducks.
• House-Finch do not eat Mice while Stork eat Mice.

Size of House-Finch and Stork?

When it comes to size, The average length of House Finches is five to six inches. The birds have a wingspan of about eight to 10 inches.. Storks are huge birds. They are about two to five feet tall with wide wings that measure over 10 feet. The biggest storks in the world are the Shoebill and Marabou that stand five feet tall.

House Finches are small birds. They weigh 0.66-0.77 ounces. while Average weight of Storks is 3-17 pounds depending on the species. Marabou is the largest species and weighs around 17 pounds.

Where do House-Finch and Stork nest?

House Finches build their nests in tree cavities, branches, bushes, ridges, nest boxes, street lamps, chimneys, or corners of buildings. It is the female that usually constructs the nests. She uses dried grass, stems, twigs, leaves, and feathers for the purpose. The nests are generally three to seven inches wide and about two inches deep. The eggs of House Finches are bluish white with dark speckles. The female House Finch incubates them for about two weeks. When the nestlings hatch, both parents engage in feeding them. They are generally fed with soft fly larvae. The young ones fledge when they are 12-15 days old.

Storks build their nests on trees and shrubs that stand in flooded water. They do so to keep predators away from eating the eggs. Both male and female birds participate in the construction of the nest, besides sharing the responsibility to incubate them for about five weeks, after which the eggs hatch. Baby Storks usually fledge 50-65 days after hatching. An interesting fact about parenting in Storks is that the parents sometimes throw some chicks out of the nests so that they can feed the healthy chicks well and support their survival.

How long do House-Finch and Stork live?

House Finches live for up to 11 years in the wild. The oldest known House Finch lived for 11 years and seven months.

Storks can live for over 30 years in the wild. They have been known to live up to 35 years in captivity. The longest living species was a White Stork that lived for 39 years in Switzerland.

Are House-Finch or Stork migratory birds?

House Finches in the western parts of North America are mostly residents. The ones from the east of the continent and south-eastern Canada migrate southward during winters.

Storks migrate during winters to warmer regions as they cannot find food in colder weather. They are known to migrate long distances, for instance from Europe to Africa, sub-Saharan region to South Africa or India. They mostly migrate in huge groups.

Do House-Finch and Stork fly in flocks?

A flock of House Finches is known as charming or trembling. These birds are extremely gregarious. They are seldom seen solitarily, except in the breeding season. They often forage in loose flocks on the ground or on trees. House Finches may also be extremely noisy. Their nests are generally located in close vicinity. In groups, female House Finches tend to be more dominating.

A group of Storks is known as a muster of Storks or a phalanx of Storks. These birds are highly sociable. They stay together and migrate in massive flocks that can even encompass a thousand birds. However, during the breeding season they prefer smaller groups or solitude.

Are House-Finch or Stork protected?

House Finches are protected as migratory and non-game birds. It is against the law to kill or harm them.

Storks are a protected species in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Conservation laws like the African Conservation Action Plan and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement have come up in response to concerns of the International Union for Conservation of Nature that the Black Storks are not protected satisfactorily.

Are House-Finch or Stork endangered?

House Finches are listed as species of least concern. They are neither threatened nor endangered. However, the birds face dangers such as predator attacks, bacterial disease, and collisions.

Storks are extant birds. They had become extinct in the UK about 500 years back but emerged back in the 1970s. They have however become extinct in Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The Adjutant Stork is endangered in India and Cambodia, and the Painted Stork is critically endangered in parts of Asia. Very few Storks are also left in Italy due to widespread poaching.

Can House-Finch and Stork fly?

House Finches commonly fly in small groups. They have short wings, so they are not great aviators. Their flying speed averages 15-20 miles an hour. They can also be seen hopping while looking for food on the ground.

Storks fly with their neck and legs stretched out. They flap and soar with their broad wings, using thermal air currents. They can reach altitudes of 1,500 metres above sea level and touch speeds of over 110 miles per hour. During migration, they fly nearly 4,400 miles.

Can House-Finch and Stork swim?

House Finches are not water birds. Their feet are adapted for perching rather than for swimming. However, the birds enjoy bathing and splashing in shallow waters.

Storks are not swimmers. They do not prefer deep waters and usually choose shallow waters for their habitat.

Mating patterns among House-Finch and Stork

House Finches reach sexually maturity when they are about a year old. During courtship, the female beseeches to be fed by the male. The male feeds the partner, performs several aerial displays, and sings melodiously. The male House Finch’s courtship habit of singing while fluttering the wings and gently gliding down is unique to House Finches. This is referred to as butterfly flight. The male is also protective of his partner. He defends his mate and the nesting territory. House Finches raise three or more broods every year. Each clutch consists of two to six eggs. While the female builds the nest and incubates the eggs, she is supported by the male who feeds her from courtship until the hatching of eggs. The partners also share the responsibility of feeding and guarding their young ones.

Storks start breeding when they are about four years old. The male bird is the first one to arrive at the nesting site. He initiates by building a nest or revamping an existing one and ducking on it. The male and female engage in elaborate mating dances. They raise a single brood each year, which consists of two to five eggs.

When is the mating season for House-Finch and Stork ?

The mating season for House Finches is from March-August each year. The birds, however, start pairing in winter.

The breeding season for Storks is generally the spring. This is usually from the start of February till the end of April.

Do House-Finch and Stork mate for life?

House Finches are monogamous. They mate for life and live with the same partner for the whole of their lives.

Storks are known to be monogamous and faithful to their partners during every breeding season and even for a few years. They may find new partners during migrations or in consecutive breeding seasons. In case of monogamous partners, they generally revisit their nesting site and use the same nests with little restoration.

How do House-Finch and Stork sleep?

House Finches sleep at dusk. They need 10-12 hours of sleep each day. They sleep on trees, ledges, rocks, buildings, and street lamps. The birds huddle together while roosting to maintain body temperature.

Storks roost in colonies. They sleep on trees and shrubs surrounded by water. Some storks even sleep standing on one leg in water.

Can House-Finch and Stork be eaten?

House Finches are not known to be eaten. It is also against the law to kill them. However, some people may consume their eggs.

Storks are edible and some people do eat them. However, the bird is protected, and it is illegal to kill them for food.

Can you hunt House-Finch or Stork?

House Finches are protected birds. It is against the law to harm or hunt them.

Thousands of White Storks lose their lives every year due to illegal hunting for sport, especially in Lebanon and Italy. The birds are also shot for their meat. All this is despite existence of laws to protect the bird.

Can you feed House-Finch or Stork?

It is a common practice in America to keep feeds for House Finches and other birds. The feeds for House Finches include berries, seeds, bell peppers, beetroot, cabbage, and banana.

Feeding wild animals and birds in public places is not permitted in places like USA, Singapore, and Dubai. Storks are huge birds and need to be fed a lot of food. In captivity, these birds are fed with fish, frogs, small birds, earthworms, lizards, and meat.