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Hilton Jr., B. 1994. Carpodacus finches in South Carolina's Piedmont: Migration, site fidelity, sex ratios, and longevity. North American Bird Bander 19(1):1-11.

TABLE 1: Yearly totals of Carpodacus finches banded at
Hilton Pond, York, South Carolina---1982 through June 1990
HOUSE FINCHES

Winter Season

Males

Females 

Unknown

Total

1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90

192 (72.5%)
418 (42.8%)
24 (41.4%)
73 (45.6%
44 (38.6%)
56 (52.8%)
---
152 (43.7%)

70 (26.4%)
513 (52.6%)
34 (58.6%)
87 (54.4%)
70 (61.4%)
50 (47.2%)
---
185 (53.2%)

3 (1.1%)
45 (4.6%)
0
0
0
0
1 (100.0%)
11 (3.1%)

265
976
58
160
114
106*
1**
348***

Total

959 (47.3%)

1,009 (49.8%)

60 (2.9%)

2,028
* Includes three local fledglings banded in June-July 1988.
** One brown Hatch-Year bird (probably local) banded on 13 July 1988.
*** Includes 21 local fledglings or breeding adults banded before influx of apparent migrants on 19 October 1989, plus 8 apparent resident adults and 2 fledglings banded in May and June 1990.

PURPLE FINCHES

Winter Season

AHY/ASY Males

Females/Unknowns

Total

1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90

41 (25.9%)
79 (27.9%)
36 (23.4%)
179 (32.1%)
158 (23.1%)
175 (28.6%)
---
81 (32.0%)

117 (74.1%)
204 (72.1%)
118 (76.6%)
379 (67.9%)
527 (76.9%)
436 (71.4%)
---
172 (67.4%)

158
283
154
558
685
611
---
253

Total

749 (27.7%)

1,953 (72.3%)

2,702
NOTE 1: "Winter" season at Hilton Pond is 21 October through 31 March for House Finches; the season for Purple Finches begins 21 November and extends to 30 April. These differ from Stewart's (1989) suggested North Carolina winter period for House Finches of December through April.
NOTE 2: Hilton Pond banding station was not in operation from 11 August 1988 to 1 July 1989.
NOTE 3: Winter-banded finches were aged as HY (Hatch-Year), AHY (After-Hatch-Year), SY (Second-Year), ASY (After-Second-Year) or U (Unknown), and sexed as (M) Male, F (Female), or U (Unknown). House Finches can be sexed reliably in the fall of their hatching year when nearly all young males already have red plumage; birds with pinkish wash may be old females or young males and were sexed U. Brown Purple Finches may be females of any age, or young (HY or SY) males that typically do not acquire red plumage until after their second summer.

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