Purple Finch  Carpodacus purpureus

Purple Finch  Carpodacus purpureus

Commonly seen in the eastern U.S. in the winter months and often a visitor to seed feeders it will also feed on buds, berries and insects mainly during summer months.  As with many finches, the young are fed regurgitated seeds.

Spending its summers in the conifers and mixed woods of the far northern U.S. and southern Canada the Purple Finch has been displaced by the House Finch in many areas.    The House Finch is a more aggressive competitor for territory and has accelerated the decline of the Purple Finch in the East, which had suffered a serious decline with the introduction of the House Sparrow 100 years earlier. 

Copyright Mark Tiefenbach

Deepbrook Nature Photography