The Purple
Finch - Carpodacus purpureus – its habitat is coniferous and mixed
forest. On the U.S. Pacific coast it is varies wooded areas. Birds from
northern Canada migrate to
the southern United States
for the winter, while other birds are permanent residents. This is the state
bird of New Hampshire.
Description
A rather chunky finch
with a short forked brown tail and brown wings. Adult males are raspberry red
on the head, breast, back and rump with a streaked back. Adult females have
light brown upperparts and white underparts with dark brown streaks throughout;
they have a white line on the face above the eye. Their flight is undulating.
Call
The call is a
musical chur-lee,
and a sharp pit
given in flight and the song is a rich warbling.
Food
They mainly eat
seeds, berries and insects. They are fond of sunflower seeds, millet, and
thistle. These birds forage in trees and bushes, sometimes in ground
vegetation.
Breeding
Monogamous pairs
usually nest on a horizontal branch or in the fork of a conifer tree, typically
well out from the trunk. The female builds the nest, which is a compact, open
cup made of twigs, weeds, and rootlets, and lined with fine grass, hair and
moss. The female incubates 3 to 5 eggs for 12 to 13 days. The male brings food
to the female while she incubates, and both adults bring food to the chicks.
The young leave the nest after 13 to 16 days. The young can fly weakly when
they first fledge and stay close to the nest for at least two more weeks before
dispersing. Pairs generally raise two broods each season.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Fairly common. Rare throughout much of the interior west. The
Purple Finch population has declined sharply in the East due to the House
Finch. Most of the time, when these two species collide, the House Finch
outcompetes the Purple Finch. This bird has been also displaced from some
habitat by the introduced House Sparrow.
Bird watching
Look for them in
forests, where you’re likely to hear their warbling song from the highest parts
of the trees. During winter you can find them in a wider variety of habitats,
including shrublands, old fields, forest edges, and backyards.
New
Hampshire Hotspots
Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Great Bay
Wildlife Refuge
White Mountain National Forest
Ponemah Bog Wildlife
Sanctuary
Beaver Brook
Association Lands
Bellamy Wildlife
Management Area
Adams Point
Wildlife Management Area
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Sandy Point
Discovery Center
Chapman's Landing
Odiorne Point
State Park
Isles Of Shoals
Seabrook Harbor
Minot J. Ross Bird Sanctuary
Pond Parish
Town Forest
The B & H
Trail
Lake Umabagog National Wildlife Refuge
Wapack National
Wildlife Refuge
Silvio O. Conte
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge
John Hay National
Wildlife Refuge
Karner Blue
Butterfly National Wildlife Refuge
Wapack National
Wildlife Refuge
Silvio O. Conte
National Wildlife Refuge
Sheldrick Forest Preserve
Green Hills
Preserve
Hurlbert Swamp