Red Finch (House Finch) the bright red coloration of male finches depends on their diet—specifically the pigments in the food they eat (carotenoids). Some turn more orange or yellow if they eat fewer red-pigment-rich foods! Originally native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, House Finches now thrive in urban and suburban areas across North America. They’re regulars at backyard feeders. They were illegally released in New York in the 1940s by pet traders. Surprisingly, they adapted and spread