Cassin's finch Cassin's finch Cassin's finch ("Haemorhous cassinii") is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are placed in the genus "Haemorhous". Adults have a short forked brown tail and brown wings. They have a longer bill than the purple finch. Adult males are raspberry red on the head, breast, back and rump; their back and undertail are streaked. Adult females have light brown upperparts and light underparts with brown streaks throughout; their facial markings are less distinct than those of the female purple finch. Their breeding habitat is coniferous forest in mountains of western
Purple-crowned fairywren or reddish-chocolate in females) and the deep blue colour of their perky tails. Subspecies designation was originally based on differences in plumage coloration and body size of museum skins. More recent genetic analyses continue to support this split. The species was first collected in 1855 and 1856 by the surgeon J. R. Elsey at Victoria River and Robinson River. Alternative names for the purple-crowned fairywren include crowned superb warbler, lilac-crowned fairywren, lilac-crowned wren, mauve-crowned wren, purple-crowned warbler, purple-crowned wren, and purple-crowned wren-warbler. Two subspecies are currently recognized: The purple-crowned fairywren is a sexually dimorphic, small bird measuring approximately 14 cm