Wing Shape in House Finches Differs Relative to Migratory Habit in Eastern and Western North America

We investigated whether wing morphology differed between the sedentary House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) of western North America and the introduced population of eastern North America, as the latter has developed migratory behavior since its inception. Wing morphology differed between eastern and western House Finches. Eastern House Finches had shorter proximal primaries and a longer outer primary, perhaps reflecting a thinner and more pointed wing, although no disparity in wing length was Manuscript received 24 December 2002; accepted 4 June 2003. 1 Corresponding author. E-mail: jbeltho@boisestate. edu 826 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS detected. Since we interpret these differences in wing shape as modifications for flight capability, we believe that initial evidence for morphological divergence relative to migratory habit between eastern and western House Finches has been established here. Confirmatory studies to determine if wing morphology varies according to the gradient in expression of migratory behavior throughout the range of eastern House Finches are now warranted.