The purple finch is a small seed-eating songbird found across much of North America. As their name suggests, male purple finches have a rosy red head, breast, and rump. Females lack the red coloration but can be identified by their heavily streaked underparts. Purple finches breed in northern forests and winter in more open habitats across the southern parts of their range. They are highly social birds, traveling and foraging in flocks. Purple finches mainly eat seeds, buds, and fruits. Their diet varies seasonally based on food availability. Understanding purple finch food preferences can help birders attract these colorful songbirds to their yards.
What kinds of seeds do purple finches eat?
Purple finches eat a wide variety of small hard seeds. Some of their preferred seeds include:
– Sunflower seeds – One of the most popular seeds at bird feeders, oil-rich black oil sunflower seeds are a purple finch favorite. They also readily eat hulled sunflower hearts.
– Nyjer seeds – Small, black, teardrop shaped seeds with high fat and protein, nyjer seeds are readily consumed by purple finches.
– Safflower seeds – Similar to sunflower seeds in size and shape, safflower seeds are also rich in fat and protein. Purple finches often prefer safflower to other small seeds.
– Niger seeds – Another tiny, oil-rich seed that purple finches like.
– Cracked corn – Cracked corn is larger than many finch seeds but the kernel pieces are consumed by purple finches.
– Millet – The small, round white and red millet seeds attract purple finches.
– Canary seeds – Small and elongated tan seeds that are relished by purple finches.
In addition to these common seeds, purple finches will also eat less typical seeds like sesame, poppy, rapeseed, rice, buckwheat, rye, wheat, sorghum, and even peanuts. They prefer small, oil-rich seeds but will adapt their diet to what seeds are available.
What types of food do purple finches prefer?
When given options, purple finches tend to prefer certain seeds:
– Oily seeds – In general, purple finches favor high fat seeds like nyjer, safflower, and sunflower over lower fat options like millet.
– Small seeds – Purple finches eat a mix of seed sizes but prefer smaller seeds they can efficiently hull and consume like nyjer seeds and hulled sunflower hearts.
– Black oil sunflower – This seed combines small size and high oil content, making it an ideal choice for purple finches.
– Shelled seeds – Purple finches will eat unshelled sunflower and safflower seeds but often prefer hulled sunflower hearts and shelled safflower seeds.
– Nyjer seed – The tiny size, tear-drop shape, and high fat and protein content of nyjer seed make it highly attractive to foraging purple finches.
Offering a mix of these preferred seeds will help attract purple finches to your yard. You can also offer seeds like millet, cracked corn, and canary seed to add variety to their diet.
What seeds do purple finches avoid?
While purple finches eat a diverse mix of seeds, there are some seeds they tend to avoid:
– Large seeds – Larger seeds like whole peanuts take more time and effort to open and consume. Purple finches will often reject these in favor of smaller seeds.
– Low fat seeds – Seeds like millet are lower in fat so purple finches do not prefer them.
– Difficult to open seeds – Some seeds have hard outer coatings that make them difficult to open. Purple finches avoid these seeds in favor of easier to access options.
– Moldy or rotten seeds – Purple finches will not eat old, moldy seeds that could make them sick.
– Dog/cat food – Although purple finches will eat bird seed found on the ground, they avoid dog and cat kibbles.
– Bread – Offering bread is not recommended as it lacks nutrients and can go bad quickly.
– Unsalted nuts – Purple finches struggle to open whole nuts without salt. Salted peanuts can be offered but avoid whole, unshelled nuts.
The best approach is offering a variety of fresh, high fat seeds that are easy for purple finches to open and eat. Monitor your feeders to see which seeds they prefer.
How can I attract purple finches to my yard?
Here are some tips to bring beautiful purple finches to your backyard:
– Offer a diversity of their preferred seeds like nyjer, safflower, sunflower seeds, and sunflower hearts.
– Use specific finch feeders with small ports and perches. Platform feeders also work well.
– Make sure feeders are full. Purple finches are gregarious so attracting the first birds will lead to more.
– Place feeders near trees or bushes as purple finches prefer some cover.
– Put up nest boxes or planting native finch-friendly plants to provide food and shelter.
– Ensure fresh water is available such as through a bird bath, fountain, or other water feature.
– Limit pesticide use which reduces insects that finches feed to their young.
– Be patient as it may take time for purple finches to find your yard.
Providing bird feeders with their favorite foods in a safe location is the best way to bring beautiful purple finches into view. Watching their colorful feathers and energetic activity will brighten any day.
What is the purple finch’s typical diet and foraging behavior?
Purple finches are opportunistic but prefer seed-rich diets. Here are some key facts about their typical diet and feeding habits:
– Seasonal variation – In summer, about 3/4 of their diet is plant material like seeds, buds, and fruits. The rest is insects to feed young. In winter, they eat almost exclusively seeds and fruits.
– Flock feeding – Purple finches forage in flocks which helps them find and access food sources. Flocks can include other finch species.
– Gleaning – They eat seeds not only from feeders but by gleaning on the ground and in trees and shrubs. Flocks cover ground efficiently finding scattered seeds.
– Hulling – They use their beaks to carefully hull seeds to extract nutritious insides. Conical bird feeders mimic natural hulling motions.
– Feeders – They readily come to feeders for high energy seeds, especially during winter when natural foods are scarce.
– Adaptability – Purple finches exploit a wide range of seasonally available seeds. Their diet shifts to take advantage of most abundant food sources.
– Water – They need a reliable water source for drinking and bathing. Unique saliva helps bind seeds when eating.
Understanding the purple finch’s natural diet and behavior helps provide food and habitat to attract them successfully.
How much food do purple finches need each day?
The amount of food a purple finch needs daily depends on factors like season, temperature, and food availability:
– An individual may eat 1-2 grams of dry food per day in warmer months when insects supplement their diet.
– In winter, consumption ranges from 3-6 grams of seed per day to generate body heat and energy.
– Smaller birds need relatively more food per ounce of body weight than larger birds.
– Colder temperatures increase calorie needs so more food is eaten on frigid winter days.
– Molting and young birds require extra nutrition impacting food amounts.
– Scarce natural food means more reliance on bird feeders.
– Dominant birds at feeders may chase off less assertive ones limiting their intake.
– Feeders remaining full with minimal empty port time ensures all birds get needed food.
While exact amounts vary, be sure to keep feeders well-stocked especially in cold conditions so purple finches and other birds can meet their energetic needs. Observe consumption rates and refill as needed.
What are the best bird feeders and food supplements to attract purple finches?
| Feeder Type | Features |
|---|---|
| Tube Feeders | – Clear tubes allow you to monitor seed levels – Ports sized for small seeds – Easy to fill and clean – Hang or mount on a pole |
| Hopper Feeders | – Large seed capacity – Weather protection for the seeds – Ports of different sizes – Typically hung from a tree |
| Platform Feeders | – Wide, open surface, attractive to many birds – Easy to fill and clean – Can be fit with a roof to keep food dry |
| Window Feeders | – Allow up-close viewing – Can mount right on window or hang outside – More sheltered setting for shy birds |
| Finch Sock Feeders | – Specialty feeder with small mesh openings – Hangs vertically like a sock or bag – Dispenses nyjer and other tiny seeds |
Having a variety of tailored feeders provides feeding niches to attract finches. Here are some supplementary foods that appeal to purple finches:
– Suet cakes with seeds – Suet is high energy food supplementation.
– Mealworms – Live or dried mealworms offer protein.
– Fruit slices – Finches enjoy fruits like oranges, apples, and berries.
– Nectar – Sugar-water nectar attracts some finches, especially during migration.
Varying supplementary foods adds nutrients and entices finch flocks to explore feeders. Along with preferred seeds, diverse feeding options help sustain wintering purple finches and recruit them as regular visitors.
What kind of bird feeders and seeds will deter purple finches?
Certain feeders and seeds are less likely to attract purple finches:
Feeders:
– Large tube feeders – Big ports allow larger birds like grackles to monopolize.
– Feeders close to the ground – Purple finches prefer feeders 5-10 feet up near cover. Ground feeding draws sparrows.
– Deep tray feeders – Long tails make perching on deep trays difficult.
– Narrow platform feeders – Broad platforms better accommodate flock feeding.
Seeds:
– Cheap seed mixes – Bulk filler seeds like milo, oats, and wheat are low preferences.
– Bread products – Quickly become stale and have low nutritional value.
– Unsalted peanuts – Difficult for purple finches to crack open.
– Large seeds – Whole corn, peas, beans, etc. are too big.
– Coated seeds – Dyed or salty coatings deter natural feeding.
Using tailored finch feeders and fresh, small, high-fat seeds helps create an attractive feeding environment for purple finches. Discouraging large aggressive birds also allows timid finches better access. With some trial and error, you can discover the feeders and seeds that best draw purple finches to your yard.
Conclusion
Purple finches have specialized seed diets that shift with seasonal availability. Understanding their favorite foods like nyjer, safflower, and sunflower seeds allows you to offer the seeds they prefer. Using finch-friendly tube feeders, socks, and platforms with small perches and ports keeps food accessible for these fast, gregarious eaters. Discouraging larger birds and providing some cover also creates an attractive space for purple finches. A bit of patience and experimentation with feeders and seeds will allow you to discover the setup that reliably draws vibrant purple finches to your feeders through the year. Their colorful plumage and energetic feeding behaviors will brighten any winter day.
