A winter visitor often
seen at home feeders. Purple Finch populations in the East have been hard
hit, first by competition with the introduced House
Sparrow, and then by the
introduction and spread of the House Finch in the East.
The photo on the right shows a male, while additional photos of both males and
females can be found at the bottom of the page.Basic Text goes in here first
Habitat: Prefers coniferous or mixed woods for breeding
(outside of South Dakota). Found in a wide variety of habitats during
migration and in winter, including forest edges and openings, brushy fields, and
Diet: Primarily seeds in the winter, also
some fruit and berries. Will occasionally feed on insects in the summer.
Behavior: Often gregarious outside of the breeding
season, foraging in small flocks. Will forage at nearly any level,
from the ground up through the forest canopy.
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota. In their
breeding range, the nest is a small cup built of weed stems, twigs, strips of
bark, and other material, lined with softer material such as grasses or animal
hair. The female lays between 2 and 7 eggs, and she alone incubates them.
When the eggs hatch, both parents help to feed the young. The young leave
the nest after about 2 weeks.
Migration: Summers in Canada, winters in the eastern half of the U.S. Also found
in all seasons in the Northeast U.S., the Great Lakes area, and along the West
Bird Feeders: Will attend feeders for sunflower seeds
Cornell University's "All About Birds - Purple Finch"
eNature.com: Purple Finch
Photo Information: November 15th, 2007 - Big Sioux
Recreation Area near Brandon, South Dakota
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Purple Finch photos.