Bird of the week #4

Our bird of the week is a big one that has been crossing paths with me for a while: Purple Finch!

Purple Finches are about the size of a Song Sparrow. The males have brown backs and purplish-pink faces and undersides, while females can be told apart from the related House Finch by their grosbeak-like faces. Otherwise, both types of female finches look very similar with their speckled bellies and brown backs. These birds can usually be found in fruiting trees as well as bird feeders. They also tend to flock together.

Purple Finches breed in Canada, the northeast U.S and along the Pacific Coast, where they are year-round residents. They winter there as well as the eastern half of the country. Population in many areas may vary, as many more finches move south than usual in some years due to less food being available further north. New York is no exception to this rule. These bird can be found in late fall and early spring in open woodland areas across the five boroughs. They can also occasionally be seen in winter. In irruptive years like this one, flocks of Purple Finches can often be found in places where there are lots of fruiting trees, such as Strawberry Fields. Evodia Filed is usually an easier place to find them, though there are usually only a few birds there. Let's hope that they won't be the only irruptive finch at the feeders this fall!