BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 21, 2026
“Bird” is both a noun and a verb. We bird to see birds. I’ve decided that “finch” should also be a noun and verb. Finching is a specialized subset of birding, requiring its own unique mix of acquired knowledge and skills. Finches are a family of birds with heavy bills designed to crunch seeds. Some species also eat fruit in the winter, and all species dine on bugs and caterpillars in summer. Nine finch species might be findable in Maine at this time of year: redpoll, pine siskin, American goldfinch, red crossbill, white-winged crossbill, purple finch, house finch, pine grosbeak and evening grosbeak. ~ Bob Duchesne