The Purple Finch

The Purple Finch is a medium size finch measuring 5 to 6 inches in length. The Adult males are a rosy-red on the head, breast, back and rump. The lower breast is a paler red fading to white on the belly. Their backs are streaked. They have a short forked brown tail and their wings are usually brown. Juviniles do not aquire their adult plumage until they're two years old.

The female Purple Finch are a light olive-brown, streaked with a dark brown. Their chest is streaked with dark olive-brown fading to white on the belly.

The Purple Finch's breeding habitat is the coniferous and mixed forests of Canada and the Northeastern United States. The birds that breed in the northern part of their range migrate south in the winter, but the birds residing in the southern area of their range are year round residents.

They prefer the enterior of the coniferous forests but also inhabit orchards, pastures, and backyards scattered with conifers, shrubs, and hedgerows.

The Purple Finch return to their breeding habitat in late March to early April. They build their nest on a horizontal branch or in the fork of a tree. The nest is composed of twigs and grass stems. It has a rough exterior but it lined with grasses, lichen, and whatever other soft material is available. As long as the nest remains intact, the Purple Finch will use it for several generations.

Eggs are rarely laid before May and the clutch consists of 4 to 6 blue sparsly spotted eggs. After the clutch is raised, the Purple Finch can be seen in huge flocks visiting orchards, parks, and other wooded areas.

The Purple Finch will forage in trees and bushes looking for seeds, berries and insects. They are frequent visitors to bird feeders prefering sunflower seeds, millet, and thistle.

The Purple Finch will sing a series of warbles, including imitations of songs of other birds. Its call note is a short tek, tek, tek.

Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)

This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.

The numbers of Purple Finch are declining in some areas as they compete with an increasing number of House Sparrows and House Finches for suitable breeding habitat and foraging ground.