Purple finch

Purple finch photographed in Manitoba

The male purple finch looks as if he has been dipped in raspberry juice, with a wash of rosy red over the head, chest, and back. Females are streaky brown with a bold white eyebrow, and both are chunky, with a large, conical bill that is built for cracking seeds.

Purple finches nest in the northern evergreen forests and sing a bright, rolling warble. In southern Manitoba they are mostly seen at feeders in migration and winter, and they favour sunflower seed. They are often confused with house finches, but the purple finch is a deeper raspberry colour and has no streaks on the belly.

To learn more about the purple finch and its habitat, visit its species page at All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Field notes in photographs

  • Purple finch photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • Purple finch photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • Female purple finch perched on a branch
  • Male purple finch with a raspberry-red head and chest perched on a conifer branch, Manitoba
  • Streaked finch perched on a snowy shepherd's hook as snow falls

Purple finch Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the purple finch in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the purple finch nests, migrates, and spends the winter, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the purple finch in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield (gold), passing through the Boreal Plains in spring and fall (lilac), and wintering in the Prairies (blue). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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