How to Identify aPurple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus · 4.7–6.3 in (12–16 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Raspberry-red wash over the head, breast, and back, blending into a pale belly; stout bill.
Female
Brown and heavily streaked with a bold whitish eyebrow and a dark cheek patch.
Male photo: Cephas / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Second photo: Billyshiverstick / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Male raspberry color extends onto the back
- Female has a strong face pattern and crisp streaks
- Notched tail
- Heavy conical bill with a curved culmen
Similar species
What it sounds like
A rich, rapid, rising and falling warble, sweeter and less coarse than a House Finch’s.
Behaviour that gives it away
Crushes seeds by grinding them between its heavy mandibles rather than hammering them open.
Habitat & range
Coniferous and mixed woods; visits feeders across the eastern U.S. and West Coast, especially in winter.
When you'll see it
Depending on where in eastern, northern and western North America you are, it is present all year and a winter visitor.
What it eats
Seeds, buds, and berries; favors sunflower seed at feeders.
Did you know?
Naturalist Roger Tory Peterson memorably described the male as a sparrow "dipped in raspberry juice."
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