House Finches Learn From Goldfinches

I have two kinds of niger (thistle) seed feeders outside a window on the side of the house.  (See side feeders.)  One kind has a feeder hole above each peg, and the other kind has a feeder hole below each peg, so the bird must hang from the peg to get the seed. 

I used to have only the above-peg kind.  I put out niger seed to attract goldfinches, but house finches and sparrows also like it, and sometimes a few other kinds of birds will eat it.  When I began to notice that the goldfinches were often crowded out by the other birds, I put up a below-peg niger feeder near the two above-peg feeders.  Because only goldfinches are comfortable with the hanging position needed to get the seed, this would ensure that at least one feeder would always be available for them.  <-- This photo shows a goldfinch at the below-peg niger feeder.  They often feed upside-down like this for minutes, and fly away without first standing upright.

One day, I saw a sparrow bully some finches away from the below-peg niger feeder; but then I laughed when he hopped around and couldn't figure out how to use the feeder that he had conquered. 

I wish I had a photo of another sparrow trying to use the below-peg niger feeder.  Instead of reaching down to the feeder hole below the peg on which he perched, he jumped up to the feeder hole below the next peg above him, hovering there long enough to grab a seed, then falling back down to the peg he started from. 

I also wish I had a picture of the house finch that I saw watching a goldfinch on a nearby peg demonstrating the proper way to use the feeder.  When, the next day, I saw a house finch trying the hanging method, I started keeping my camera close by the window.  <-- Here is a photo of a house finch trying the goldfinch's method.  Notice that his body is in an awkward position; he has turned his body to face the feeder hole, rather than just turning his neck.  (Compare to the goldfinch in the above photo.)  He doesn't seem to like the hanging position, because as soon as he gets a seed, he returns to an upright position to eat it before dipping down for another one.

A few minutes later, I took the picture at the right of a house finch (probably the same one) trying the newly-learned method.  Now he turns only his head, not his entire body, toward the feeder-hole.  But he still returns to an upright position as soon as he gets a seed.  There are two other differences between the goldfinch's method (left) and the house finch's method (right).  The goldfinch extends his legs, allowing his body to hang lower.  But the house finch folds his legs, pulling his belly against the peg, and putting his center-of-gravity closer to the peg.  And the house finch steadies his position by leaning his tail against the feeder tube.  The goldfinch just relies on his lower center-of-gravity to steady his body.