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Wild Bird Feeders,
Bird Houses,
Bird Baths and more
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Purple Finch
Description: The Purple Finch is closely related to the house finch, it is a plump, sparrow-sized bird with a short, notched tail and straight bill. Red in color, the Purple Finch is a migratory bird that's a beautiful addition to any yard. Its breeding range extends across North America and from the southern Yukon across Canada, southward into the northeastern United States and along the Pacific Coast to southern California. It spends its winters along the Pacific Coast and in the east, from Canada southward to the Gulf Coast, then across central Texas to northern Florida.
Other Names: None
Color: The Purple Finch isn't "purple" at all its a raspberry red, that is deepest in color on the breast, head and rump. Males have brown undertones on their backs and wings, but are reddish-purple overall (with the exception of white bellies). Female Purple Finches are marked with short, blurry streaks on their breasts and white markings on their faces. The male begins to get his red plumage toward the end of his second year. When the Purple Finch is excited, the feathers on his crown rise up and resemble a tuft.The immature birds, both male and female, look just like the adult female.
Sound: Purple Finches sing a melodious warble that sometimes includes imitations of songs of other birds. Their call note is a short, low “tek.”
Preferred Environment: Coniferous forests and in suburban areas, orchards and deciduous forests but are outcompeted by House Finches in suburban and urban areas.
Nesting Habits: he nest is a compact, open cup made of twigs, weeds, and rootlets, and lined with fine grass, hair,and moss. .
Food Preference: Purple Finches primarily eat seeds, buds, and berries as well as insects in the summer.The young are only fed seeds. At the feeder they feed on sunflower, safflower, niger (thistle), corn and suet.
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How to Attract Purple Finches
The purple finch comes readily to feeders. It also breeds in close association with people. Small flocks form in late summer and early fall, and may visit bird feeders regularly throughout the winter, when the feeders are not full of House Sparrows or House Finches.
Filling your birdfeeder with an offering of black-oil sunflower seed should help you in attracting these birds, but this finch can go through a lot of seed and often takes control of a feeder for hours on end.
Finches prefer a wall or post mounted house, 5' to 15' off the ground. It should have a 1.5" diameter entrance hole and a predator guard should be added. A perch is not necessary. Create nesting for finches and swallows in your yard with a finch house.
Purple finches will readily come to feeders where thistle seeds are offered. About any feeding stations that attract finches will most likely attract House Finches. Keep the feeders well-stocked with sunflower, safflower, apple slices, suet, millet, peanuts and other fruit. It is wise to use squirrel proof feeders . Follow these feeding options and you should soon have these brilliant birds darting across your back yard in no time.
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