A photograph of a paper cutout of a photo of a Purple Finch bird placed on a dry brown plant surrounded by tall green grasses with out-of-focus colorful autumn foliage in the background.
“Purple Finch” in autumn landscape

Purple Finch

PUFI
  • Scientific: Haemorhous purpureus
  • Spanish: Camachuelo Purpúreo
  • French: Roselin pourpré
  • Family: Finches
  • Bird Code: PUFI

If there is a 3° C increase in temperature due to unmitigated climate change

Predicted percentage of habitat lost

79%
Summer range lost
41%
Winter range lost

Climate and other threats imore info

Habitat

In summer, prefer coniferous forests but can also be found in mixed forests, and along streams and in suburbs with woods. In winter found in a wider variety of woods, swamps, weedy fields and at suburban feeders.

Range

Common year-round resident in the North and East, and along the Pacific seaboard. Breeds across much of southern and central Canada in the summer. Uncommon winter resident in the central and southeastern U.S.

Silhouette of Grace's Warbler
Did you know?

Bird ornithologist and illustrator Roger Tory Peterson described this colorful finch as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” Numbers of Purple Finches in the Northeast U.S. started to decline in the late 19th century after the House Sparrow was first released in New York in 1851. Current competition from House Finches has further impacted numbers of the Purple Finch.