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Both birds are drawn to feeders, and Trina suggests filling them with unhulled black oil sunflower seeds. Before its expansion throughout the U.S., the house finch was native to the Southwest and was acclimated to an open, arid habitat. Purple finches are migratory, so they travel south to the Eastern parts of the United States when the cold comes to Canada and the West coastal regions of the US. They are particularly social during the winter when they form flocks composed of up to 200 birds.
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This Finch’s introduction to the eastern United States marked the beginning of a significant range expansion. Over the decades, it has spread across North America and is now one of the most widespread and abundant bird species on the continent. With its distinctive rosy-red plumage, the House Finch is a familiar sight at bird feeders and city parks. It can also live in orchards, riparian zones, and parklands with conifers and ornamental trees. Both finches mainly eat seeds, berries and other plant matter, mixed with some insects and invertebrates in the breeding season.
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Consuming seeds, insects, and various plants, their diet further showcases their adaptability to different environments. In this article, we’re going to explain the differences between House and Purple Finches and give you some surefire ways to tell them apart. With their similar colors and patterns, House Finches and Purple Finches are hard to differentiate. The male is the primary vocalist, and its song is a rich, musical warble that often contains a series of phrases. The song is sweet and can be quite complex, with a mixture of trills, twitters, and sweeter notes.
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Nesting and habitat
They can do this to owls and hawks but, in desert habitats, are especially concerned with snakes, including the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. One study of marked House Finches showed that a large number of adult birds were five years old, and a fair number were six years of age. The average size of both species is six inches in length but the Purple Finch weighs a bit more.
Similar SpeciesHouse Finch
Purple finches live year-round along the Pacific coast and in the Great Lakes region and in the Northern parts of Canada’s forests. These birds are not territorial, but they do tend to live together in flocks. In terms of house finch nesting habits, they tend to nest close together along with the rest of their community. If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you probably saw an adult male house finch. But there are several significant differences in terms of finch colors between the two species. Besides their physical appearance, you can make the difference between house finches and purple finches based on how they behave.
The House Finch also has a similarly notched tail but with a moderately longer tail, contributing to a similar overall tail shape. Originally native to the western United States and Mexico, the House Finch was introduced to the eastern United States in the early 1940s. A small population was released in New York City, and from there, the species rapidly expanded its range.
Range
Partners in Flight have a more conservative estimate of around 40 million birds. The shape and proportion of the species is another factor that will assist you in distinguishing between them. While they do enjoy seeds and fruits, they also feed on insects like beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and aphids to supplement their nutrition. Besides the length difference, you may be able to see that the bodies of House Finches are more slender, while Purple Finches are more stout and chunky. Like House Finches, Purple Finches will happily come to your bird feeder.
Do Purple Finches and House Finches flock together?
Susceptible to House Finch eye disease, an illness that gives them swollen eyes and leaves them lethargic. If sick birds are seen around feeders, remove feeders and clean with diluted bleach solution to reduce spread. Note plain mostly brown face pattern without pale stripes; also the notched tail. Often numerous at feeders, especially where black oil sunflower is offered.
Nesting
The females of both of these finches are not colorful like the males. Instead, both are predominantly light brown with streaky plumage. The House finch doesn't just live in houses and shares large portions of its range with the Purple finch, which is not really purple at all! Both are of similar color, and both belong to the same genus Haemorhous. But, there are some telltale differences between these two birds if you know what to look for.
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In winter they migrate as far south as Florida, but they don't typically visit the Interior West at any time of year. To see each bird's range, visit our online field guide, or download our free Audubon bird guide app. House finches live in the continental parts of the United States and along the Canadian border, and they do so yearlong. Most don’t migrate from these areas unless the weather is really bad. A red headed finch can be found in small conifers, but in many urban centers, too.
Female purple finches have white markings on a generally gray to the brown body, whereas female house finches have a muted gray brown coloration without any streaks or markings. The females differ too, even though to an untrained eye, they can look very similar. Female purple finches have dark cheek patches and a white streak over their eyes — something that you aren’t going to find in female house finches.
Residents of the East usually don’t, but those in the West can move to lower elevations during the cold season. The purple finch’s call note is softer and resembles a ‘pik’ or a ‘tek’. On the other hand, the house finch’s call is louder and also longer, and it resembles a ‘chirp’. Male House Finches also boast red hues with brown streaks, but it’s more of a rosy color on the face and throat.
If you’re hoping to attract Purple Finches to your birdhouses, you may have some difficulty as these birds prefer to nest in places like tree limbs and shrubs. They’re more widespread in the eastern U.S. during the non-breeding season but become less common as you move west. House Finches prefer to build their nests in more urban settings, such as on building ledges or in hanging planters right outside your home.
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