Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Purple Finches breed in coniferous and mixed forest habitats. We find them in Canada and the northeastern United States, as well as various wooded areas along the Pacific coast of the USA.
Eastern populations of this finch have suffered from the introduction of House Finches in the 1940s. House Finches out-compete this species as much as 95% of the time. The Purple Finch lives as long as 14 years.
Early observers called out five subspecies, but H. p. nesophilus, H. p. taverneri, and H. p. rubidus have been dropped from the current classification listing. Modern research recognises only two subspecies of Purple Finch:
- H. p. purpureus breeds in southern Canada and the northeastern USA. In winter they migrate mostly to the southeastern USA, Texas and Florida.
- H. p. californicus breeds from British Columbia to northern Baja California. During winter, some move south to southeastern California, Arizona, and northwestern Baja California (Mexico).
Until recently, I had not met these birds outside of California. All of those were in the highlands of either southern California, or the eastern Sierra-Nevada range. In the spring of 2022, while traveling up the Oregon coast, I found them at Clay Myers State Natural Area near Pacific City. In 2023, I traveled to the Canadian Great Lakes and eastern North America, where I found them to be the most common finch in the region.
28 Photos
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Female bird found at Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California USA 2013-05-21. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:24 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X7775-PurpleFinch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Juvenile. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:30 17:12 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7576PurpleFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:26 14:21 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7508PurpleFinch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Male bird found at Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California USA 2013-05-21. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:50 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X7818-PurpleFinch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:43 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X7061-PurpleFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: Female at Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:12 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X7734-PurpleFinch-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: Female bird found at Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California USA 2013-05-21. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:11 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X7729-PurpleFinch-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Female bird found at Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California USA 2013-05-21. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:10 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X7719-PurpleFinch-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:02 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X7709-PurpleFinch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Male bird at the Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California USA 2013-05-21. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 7:46 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X7680-PurpleFinch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:49 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X7068-PurpleFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:49 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X7065-PurpleFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Visitor Center in the community of Laguna Mountain, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:03:11 11:48 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X7064-PurpleFinch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 15:44 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X5508-PurpleFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 14:35 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X5464-PurpleFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Yard birds in Aspendell are different from most folks' yard birds, but most folks don't have yards at over 8400 feet in the Eastern Sierras. Near Bishop California in Inyo County. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:19 11:11 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_D5X0205-Aspendell |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:12 9:22 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X3977-PurpleFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:12 9:07 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X3949-PurpleFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:12 9:03 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X3937-PurpleFinch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Yard birds in Aspendell are different from most folks' yard birds, but most folks don't have yards at over 8400 feet in the Eastern Sierras. Near Bishop California in Inyo County. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:19 11:17 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_D5X0285-Aspendell |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: I received an email from an Oregon birder, suggesting I stop north of Pacific City at Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island, and what a great suggestion it turned out to be! The first sounds I heard were Purple Finch songs, and I knew I was in for a good morning. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:05 9:14 |
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Location:
Clay Myers State Natural Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_8501167-ClayMyers-NaturalArea |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: I received an email from an Oregon birder, suggesting I stop north of Pacific City at Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island, and what a great suggestion it turned out to be! The first sounds I heard were Purple Finch songs, and I knew I was in for a good morning. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:05 9:14 |
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Location:
Clay Myers State Natural Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_8501171-ClayMyers-NaturalArea |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: I received an email from an Oregon birder, suggesting I stop north of Pacific City at Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island, and what a great suggestion it turned out to be! The first sounds I heard were Purple Finch songs, and I knew I was in for a good morning. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:05 9:15 |
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Location:
Clay Myers State Natural Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_8501203-ClayMyers-NaturalArea |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: I received an email from an Oregon birder, suggesting I stop north of Pacific City at Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island, and what a great suggestion it turned out to be! The first sounds I heard were Purple Finch songs, and I knew I was in for a good morning. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:05 9:22 |
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Location:
Clay Myers State Natural Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_8501233-ClayMyers-NaturalArea |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Traveling south from my 2023 stay in Canada, I enjoyed a visit with old and dear friends in Pennsylvania. Theirs was a bird-friendly yard, and I took advantage of the opportunity to meet the local avifauna. |
Date Taken: 2023:06:04 10:59 |
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Location:
Residential Neighborhood |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_Z9X3666_Wernersville-PA |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: Traveling south from my 2023 stay in Canada, I enjoyed a visit with old and dear friends in Pennsylvania. Theirs was a bird-friendly yard, and I took advantage of the opportunity to meet the local avifauna. |
Date Taken: 2023:06:04 10:59 |
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Location:
Residential Neighborhood |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_Z9X3613_Wernersville-PA |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
|
Description: Traveling south from my 2023 stay in Canada, I enjoyed a visit with old and dear friends in Pennsylvania. Theirs was a bird-friendly yard, and I took advantage of the opportunity to meet the local avifauna. |
Date Taken: 2023:06:04 10:46 |
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Location:
Residential Neighborhood |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_Z9X3451_Wernersville-PA |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Purple Finch(Haemorhous purpureus) |
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Description: Purple Finches sang from on high and only gave me the briefest of views. The dense woods of the Fort Saint John Community Forest was a wondrous place to meet birds, but most of them hid well in the foliage or high in the tall canopy. |
Date Taken: 2022:06:26 14:31 |
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Location:
Community Forest |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: PurpleFinch_8504790-FortSaintJohn.CommunityForest |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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