The have a very strong bill which is used for cracking open these seeds and as a bird bander, you can believe me when I tell you their bills hurt. I would also like to point out that the Purple Finch main diet is seeds. Just view these males in this next video. This allows the females to visually identify the older males on territory who “should” be better fit in taking care of their young. But the after second year males are obviously males with their “dipped in raspberry juice” look. Bird Banders with the bird in the hand even need to record the second year birds as an unknown sex. Typically this is true but this time of the year the second year (born last summer) males can look almost identical to the female Purple Finch. We many times assume the dull colored birds are the females and brightly colored bird are always the males. Can you easily identify the Male or Female? I would like everyone to watch the behaviors of the Purple Finch in this next video. I would show you pictures of the House Finch, but we see very few of them here in the woods. Females can be easily identified by the very distinct brown and white stripping in its head where the House Finch has a more of a plain brownish head to her. Both appear to have this purplish red coloring the Purple Finch has much more coloring on its back and sides. I think the House Finch can be easily confused with this description and maybe I can help everyone with what the Purple Finch really looks like. The Petersons Field Guide describes the Purple Finch as “a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice”. One highlighted bird that I want to tell you about is the Purple Finch (Many videos here, avoid if you do dial-up). In my previous posts, I had neglected to tell you about the numerous birds that I have been seeing at my birdfeeders. I have also been talking about the Tree Swallows skimming the lakes in search of flying insects. As in yesterdays post, I discussed how many species were heading straight for the roads with hopes of finding worms, bugs or seeds. Now I’m on the lookout for a female Purple Finch and excited to see what other ‘flavors’ of feathered friends fall migration brings to our backyard.When the weather gets bad, the birds require doing just about anything to make sure they have built up enough fat to survive the cold nights. Please be sure to subscribe to our You Tube Channel. See one of our squirrels doing sit ups on our feeder as they pilfer the black oil sunflower seeds.

If you’re having problems keeping squirrels off your feeders, read about Jim Fowler’s trick for squirrel-proofing your feeder here. Thanks to advice from Jim Fowler, the beloved host of Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, who shared his trick to squirrel-proof his feeders with intoBirds, now we have more birds to watch and enjoy. Thwarting the squirrels have become quite comical. The birds enjoy darting back and forth between the feeders, and are in good company, as most of the backyard birds and squirrels are frequenting the feeders. We put out a blend of seeds, including black oil sunflower seeds and berry & nut wild bird food, and suet across several feeders spaced over a large area to encourage a variety of winged visitors to stop by during fall migration. Male Purple Finches take two years to reach mature plumage, and first-year males look like females They frequently come to bird feeders, but visit feeders less in the Northeast where competition with House Sparrows and House Finches drive them back into the woods. Purple Finches feed up in trees and on the ground in open woods. Purple Finches Face CompetitionĪccording to the Audubon Field Guide, the Purple Finch ( Haemorhous purpureus) is climate threatened. Once I grabbed my binoculars, I knew I finally had my first male Purple Finch of the year.

Purple Finches aren’t purple, but adult males have a raspberry red head, breast and back. Purple Finches aren’t purple, but adult males have a raspberry red head, breast and back The raspberry sorbet coloring was more vibrant on the head and breast and extended deep into the back. House Finches are frequent visitors at the feeders, but today a special one caught my eye. I didn’t have to go very far on this overcast day to enjoy seeing a new visitor at our backyard bird feeders. My favorite flavor of refreshing sorbet is Meyer Lemon, but today it’s raspberry – as in Purple Finch.

Show me a purple finch