Appearance: The purple finch is a small bird about 6″ long with a raspberry-red head with lighter shades on the breast, back, and rump. The wings and tail are brown. Females are brown with brown striped breasts and white streaks across their eyes.
Diet: Seeds, insects, and fruit.
Feeder food: Black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite.
Habitat: While some purple finches are year-round birds (especially those from the upper midwest to the east and those along the pacific coast) many head south for the winter and can be found in the eastern part of the US as well as the southernmost parts of Canada. They prefer coniferous forests in summer along with mixed forests near streams and tree-lined backyards.
Range Map
