One of the more striking birds in its range, the male Purple Finch (5 3/4 inches) is most readily identified by its purplish-red head, breast, and rump. Other field marks include a large bill, dark legs, and notched tail. The female Purple Finch is much less colorful, with a brown back and a brown-streaked breast. The Purple Finch breeds across southern Canada, the northeastern U.S., and the west coast of North America from British Columbia south to central California. In winter, this species withdraws from northern parts of its range, and may be found widely across the eastern U.S. and in southern California. In areas where Purple Finches occur all year, local breeders are displaced in winter by more northerly-breeding birds. In summer, the Purple Finch breeds primarily in evergreen forests. During the winter, this species may also be found in deciduous and mixed deciduous and evergreen forests as well as in thickets and hedges. Purple Finches primarily eat seeds and other plant matter, but may also eat insects when available. Like many finches, the Purple Finch frequently visits bird feeders. In wilder areas, this species may be observed feeding on seeds or buds on the ends of tree branches. This species is primarily active during the day.
One of the more striking birds in its range, the male Purple Finch (5 3/4 inches) is most readily identified by its purplish-red head, breast, and rump. Other field marks include a large bill, dark legs, and notched tail. The female Purple Finch is much less colorful, with a brown back and a brown-streaked breast. The Purple Finch breeds across southern Canada, the northeastern U.S., and the west coast of North America from British Columbia south to central California. In winter, this species withdraws from northern parts of its range, and may be found widely across the eastern U.S. and in southern California. In areas where Purple Finches occur all year, local breeders are displaced in winter by more northerly-breeding birds. In summer, the Purple Finch breeds primarily in evergreen forests. During the winter, this species may also be found in deciduous and mixed deciduous and evergreen forests as well as in thickets and hedges. Purple Finches primarily eat seeds and other plant matter, but may also eat insects when available. Like many finches, the Purple Finch frequently visits bird feeders. In wilder areas, this species may be observed feeding on seeds or buds on the ends of tree branches. This species is primarily active during the day.
The purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae.
This species and the other "American rosefinches" were formerly included with the rosefinches of Eurasia in the genus Carpodacus; however, the three North American species are not closely related to the rosefinches of the Old World, and have thus been moved to the genus Haemorhous by most taxonomic authorities.
It is included in the finch family, Fringillidae, which is made up of passerine birds found in the northern hemisphere, Africa, and South America. The purple finch was originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789.[2]
There are two subspecies of the purple finch, H. p. purpureus and H. p. californicus. H. p. californicus was identified by Spencer F. Baird in 1858.[2] It differs from the nominate subspecies in that it has a longer tail and shorter wings. The plumage of both males and females is darker, and the coloration of the females is more greenish.[3] The bill of H. p. californicus is also longer than that of the nominate subspecies.[4]
Adults have a short forked brown tail and brown wings. Adult males are raspberry red on the head, breast, back and rump; their back is streaked. Adult females have light brown upperparts and white underparts with dark brown streaks throughout; they have a white line on the face above the eye.
Measurements:[5]
Their breeding habitat is coniferous and mixed forest in Canada and the northeastern United States, as well as various wooded areas along the U.S. Pacific coast. They nest on a horizontal branch or in a fork of a tree.
Birds from northern Canada migrate to the southern United States; other birds are permanent residents.
The purple finch population has declined sharply in the East due to the house finch. Most of the time, when these two species collide, the house finch outcompetes the purple finch. This bird has also been displaced from some habitat by the introduced house sparrow.[6]
These birds forage in trees and bushes, sometimes in ground vegetation. They mainly eat seeds, berries, and insects. They are fond of sunflower seeds, millet, and thistle.
The Purple Finch prefers nesting in lowland coniferous and mixed forests, avoiding more heavily populated urban areas, but sometimes found in rural residential areas. The female Purple Finch usually builds her nest on horizontal branches of coniferous trees, away from the trunk, but occasionally in tree forks. The nest is shaped like an open cup, made up of rootlets, twigs, and weeds, and lined with grass, hair, and moss.
This is the state bird of New Hampshire. In 1763, Richard Brookes made the description of the female purple finch in Mexico with the name of "chiantototl" (chia seed bird).[7]
The purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae.
