The female purple finch has a much duller and less colorful plumage than the male, but can still be identified by some key features. Here’s a quick overview of how to recognize a female purple finch:
Size and Shape
The female purple finch is a medium-sized songbird, measuring approximately 4.7 to 6.3 inches in length with a wingspan of 8.7 to 10.2 inches. It has a conical beak suited for cracking seeds, rounded wings, and a rather long notched tail. The body shape is plump with a large head.
Plumage Color
Unlike the brightly colored red male, the female purple finch has light brown upperparts streaked with darker brown. The coloration helps provide camouflage when sitting on a nest. The underparts are light brown or beige with heavy streaking on the breast, flank and belly. The wings are brown with two indistinct wing bars.
Facial Markings
The head has a whitish supercilium (eyebrow stripe) above the eye. There are also whitish malar stripes along the sides of the throat. These contrast against the brownish cheek patch. The eye is dark brown. The short pointy beak is pinkish-brown on top fading to pale pink underneath.
Song and Call
The song is a long, fast, complex, musical warbling. It lacks the clear articulation in tone and pitch of the male’s song. The call is a soft, nasal “pit” or “plink” sound.
Behavior
The female purple finch moves through trees and shrubs methodically while foraging. She hops along branches and sometimes hangs upside down to reach food sources. She regularly visits bird feeders throughout the year. The female may be seen in small flocks during migration or winter.
Habitat
In summer, the female purple finch breeds in open coniferous or mixed woodlands across Canada and the mountainous western United States. She winters in the eastern and southern United States, Mexico and the Pacific Coast, frequenting parks, gardens and backyards.
Range
The purple finch female has the same expansive range as the male. Year-round, they can be found from southern Canada west to Alaska and south to the Pacific Coast, the Rocky Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains. They breed in Canada and migrate south to winter in most of the continental United States into Mexico.
Identifying the Female Purple Finch
Here are some tips for identifying and distinguishing the female purple finch from similar bird species:
- Look for the streaked underparts and whitish facial markings
- Note the conical bill shape
- Listen for the musical warbling song
- Watch foraging behavior moving through trees and shrubs
- The House Finch female has browner, less streaked underparts
- The Cassin’s Finch female has a grey head and brown back
- The Pine Siskin is much smaller with yellow in its plumage
Interesting Facts
- Purple finches get their name from the bright purple-red color of the male.
- The female builds a cup nest out of plant material, sometimes using shed snakeskin.
- She lays 4-5 pale blue eggs with brown spots.
- The male feeds the female while she incubates the eggs over a two week period.
- Both parents feed the young nestlings regurgitated seeds.
- The purple finch female leaves the nest about 9-12 days after hatching.
Conclusion
The female purple finch lacks the bright coloration of the male, but can be identified by her streaked underparts, facial markings, conical bill, foraging behavior and musical warbling song. She shares the same range as the male across Canada and the northern United States. Learning the key field marks and songs makes identifying the duller female purple finch more straightforward.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Size | 4.7 to 6.3 inches long with 8.7 to 10.2 inch wingspan |
Shape | Plump body, conical bill, rounded wings, long notched tail |
Plumage | Light brown upperparts with streaking, light brown underparts heavily streaked |
Facial Markings | Whitish eyebrow and malar stripes, brown cheek patch |
Song | Long, fast, warbling song |
Call | Soft, nasal “pit” or “plink” |
Behavior | Methodical movement through trees and shrubs while foraging |
Range | Canada, Alaska, Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains |
Plumage Differences Between Male and Female
The brightly colored male purple finch differs significantly in plumage from the duller brown female:
Male Plumage | Female Plumage |
---|---|
Crimson red head, breast, rump and tail | Light brown head, breast and tail with streaking |
Pinkish belly and undertail coverts | Beige belly and undertail coverts with streaking |
Brown back and wings | Light brown back and wings with streaking |
White wing bars and tips of tail feathers | Indistinct wing bars, no white tail markings |
Black wings and tail | Wings and tail brown |
This difference in coloration between genders is known as sexual dimorphism. The drab female plumage provides camouflage while nesting and raising young. The brightly colored male uses his plumage to attract a mate and defend his breeding territory.
How to Attract Female Purple Finches
Here are some tips to attract female purple finches to your backyard:
- Put up finch feeders stocked with nyjer thistle seed
- Offer black oil sunflower seeds on platform feeders
- Provide suet feeders with fruit, nut and seed mixes
- Supply hopper or tube feeders with millet, safflower and cracked corn
- Include fresh water sources like misters, drippers and small ponds
- Allow natural vegetation like conifers and berry bushes to grow
- Avoid pesticides which reduce the insect food sources
- Set up nest boxes suited for finch use
Food and nesting sites are two key elements that will attract breeding and wintering female purple finches. Their dull plumage blends into natural habitats, so look and listen closely for them!
Conclusion
The female purple finch lacks the bright red plumage of the male. She is light brown above with heavily streaked underparts. Facial markings like the whitish supercilium are helpful identification clues. Her conical bill shape, musical warbling song and methodical foraging behavior through trees are also useful to recognize this finch species. Learning the key features allows bird enthusiasts to identify the duller female purple finch.