Photo: USFWS Midwest Region / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Songbirds

Purple Finch

Haemorhous purpureus

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut

By family

True Finches of Canada True Finches of the United States True Finches of Alberta True Finches of British Columbia True Finches of Manitoba True Finches of New Brunswick True Finches of Newfoundland and Labrador True Finches of Nova Scotia True Finches of Northwest Territories

See what's near you right now

The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a member of the Fringillidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 23.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae Finches, Euphonias
Genus Haemorhous
Species purpureus

Where it lives

Northern, western, also northwestern Mexico

North America

Quick facts

Weight: 23.3 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Fringillidae
Order: Passeriformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Main colours Brown Pink Red

Male vs female

Male is washed raspberry/rose pink-red over the head, breast, and back (Peterson's 'a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice'), mixing with brown on the back and a cloudy whitish, largely unstreaked belly; the female (and immature) has no red, being brown and coarsely streaked below with a bold whitish eyebrow and a dark cheek/whisker (malar) face pattern.

Juvenile appearance

Immatures/juveniles look like the brown, streaky female; young males show delayed plumage maturation and do not acquire the raspberry wash until their second year (definitive prebasic molt after their first year).

Similar birds

Least Concern

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus

Least Concern

Drakensberg Siskin

Crithagra symonsi

Least Concern

Common Linnet

Linaria cannabina

Least Concern

Streaky-headed Seedeater

Crithagra gularis

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Purple Finch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Purple Finch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a member of the Fringillidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA n, w, also nw Mexico.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.3 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.5 million km².

Songs & calls

Purple Finch — Song

Recorded by Ed Pandolfino Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Purple Finch?

The Purple Finch is a small bird that weighs around 23.3 g.

Where does the Purple Finch live?

The Purple Finch is found across North America with a range covering NA n, w, also nw Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Purple Finch belong to?

The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) belongs to the Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Purple Finch eat?

The Purple Finch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Purple Finch migrate?

The Purple Finch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Purple Finch endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Purple Finch make?

1 real field recording of the Purple Finch — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Purple Finch's range?

The Purple Finch has a mapped global range of about 4.5 million km².