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Purple Finch

(Carpodacus purpureus)

Photo: Ron Austing

Size             : 4 1/2  inches long
Description      : Male   - Deep raspberry-red head, back, and breast and dark brown-marked wings and tail.
                            Belly is whitish. Distinctive light-colored stripe above the eye. 
                          
                   Female - Like most female finches, they are streaked with brown and white/tan all over 
                            their bodies. The light stripe above the eye and brown patches on the cheeks
                            distinguish them from other female finches.                     
Preferred Habitat: Edges of woods, coniferous forests, shade trees.
Preferred food   : Sunflower, pumpkin, squash, and millet seeds, scratch feed, nutmeats, buds, fruit, insects
Breeding Range   : British Columbia , Quebec and Newfoundland, south to New Jersey, Upper Michigan an Wisconsin,
                   Minnesotta, and Baja California
Winter Range     : Eastern half of the United States, California and Texas, and British Columbia to Nova Scotia.
Interesting Facts: Closely related and similar in appearance to house finches.
                   Nest 5 to 60 feet from ground on horizontal branch of an evergreen.
                   The female gathers most of the nesting materials and buils a neat cup-shaped nest made 
                   up of twigs, weeds, grasses and bark. The nest is lined with file grasses or hair.
                   They like to hide their nest in dense foliage or conifers.