Female Purple Finches (Identification Guide: Male vs Female)

Since the house finches expanded eastward, many birders have found it increasingly difficult to distinguish female purple finch from the species. Inhabitant of the West Coast and Northeast of the United States, populations of purple finch (Purple blood nematode) also migrated south from their summer breeding grounds in Canada to the central and southern United States.

The purple finch is primarily a bird in the summer coniferous forests. For many, winter marks the arrival of these birds as they move around in search of better seed sources. They use a variety of perches at this time and are often seen at backyard bird feeders.

In typical finch fashion, the female purplish finch lacks the bright colors of the males. Bright colors are unnecessary, as all that is showing off is the male, and attracting unwanted attention will only serve as a predator’s calling card.

Identifying purple finch females in the wild can be tricky. If you think you’re looking for a purple bird, think again. Males have all the colors, even redder than purple.

Read this guide for some practical tips on identifying female purple finch by appearance and behavior. Along the way, we’ll also cover lots of other fun facts!

Closeup of a perched female purple finch

How do you know if a purple finch is a male or a female?

It’s easy to tell the difference between an adult male and a female purple finch. The male’s head, back, and underparts are rose-red (not purple). Their colors are most vivid in spring. Females are gray-brown to olive-brown overall, with heavily streaked breasts and underparts.

On the other hand, separating females from immature males is no easy task, almost impossible in the field. Sorry, there is no easy solution to this problem!

male purple finch

purple finch

What does a female purple finch look like?

The female purple finch is a rather drab little bird. Accurate identification can present some challenges, but there are some diagnostic features to be aware of.

The female purplish finch has a typical finch profile, with a short, heavy conical bill ideal for feeding on seeds. Their overall body color is gray with brown stripes on the back and wings. Their lower body has bold stripes that turn pure white under the tail. Females also have distinctly dark cryptic ear spots with distinctly lighter stripes above and below.

Now that you know the basics of female purple finch identification, it’s time to dive into some expert tips.

Although they are superficially similar, it is worth noting that there are two recognized subspecies of purple finch, which do differ slightly in appearance. Females of the western subspecies (Schistosoma californica) has a more olive-coloured color than its eastern counterpart. The markings on the lower body of the eastern subspecies (life value.Fuchsia) is also slightly bolder and more clearly defined.

A female purple finch (left) and a male purple finch (right) perched on a branch

Distinguishing Female Purple Finch from Congeners

While distinguishing purple finch females from purple finch males may be easy, some other identification challenges do present. Females of other bloodfinch species, in particular, are easily confused.

female house finches (Mexican Schistosoma) are the birds most likely to be confused with the female purple finch. The species is becoming more common and outdoes the purple finch over much of the eastern part of its shared range. Female house finches have lighter stripes on their underparts and a more uniform-looking head.

In the western United States, the female cassing finches (Schistosoma cassini) are easily confused with the female purple finch. The most reliable visual differences between these birds are the colors and markings of their hiding places. They are solid white in purple finch females but striped in cassin finch.

female house finches

female purple finch perched

Are female purple finch bigger than males?

Male and female purple finch are almost the same size. One study found that men grew an average of 3 mm in a sample size of 220 men. The total length of the birds in this sample from tail fork to beak tip ranged from 123.5 mm to 154 mm.

On average, males are also slightly heavier than females, but only by around a gram. Interestingly, the female purple finch does have much shorter wings, although this is not a diagnostic characteristic in the field.

behavioral difference

During the non-breeding season, the male and female purple finch roost together. Males are consistently present at higher densities than females, although the reason for the difference in numbers is unclear.

Both sexes of purple finch have shown aggressive behavior towards each other. However, female purple finches are not known for holding back from males. For example, they often have the final say (or pecking power) when food around a food source gets hot.

There are also some interesting differences between the two sexes when it comes to pairing. Read on to find out how the courtship process unfolded.

Females are believed to select males through song. The male then performs a complex and energetic dance that includes various movements, postures and very short vertical flights. Soft vocalizations are made during this display, and the female may respond with a softer display.

A pair of female purple finch perched on a tree

sing and call

Purple finch is a talking bird. Males utter three different songs in different ways to attract females, establish dominance and defend their nest territory. Female purple finches also vocalize, although their function is less obvious.

The female has been recorded singing in the nest. The song lasts a minute or two and is distinct from the song of a male purple finch. She also utters short three calls in the nest and one loud call in flight.

nesting and feeding

Purple finch is monogamous. Nest building usually begins in April but has been recorded as late as July, with some pairs producing second litters.

Both sexes participate in choosing nesting sites. This is usually on the branches of coniferous trees, such as spruce. Typical nesting sites have some form of cover directly above them, anywhere from 30 inches to 60 feet above the ground.

Once a site is chosen, the female does most, if not all, of the work, building a neat little cup-shaped nest lined with soft materials like fur and grass. She usually lays 4 teal eggs, but 2 to 7 eggs have also been recorded.

Closeup of a perched female purple finch

Can a female purple finch raise her chicks alone?

When it comes to purple finch parenting, teamwork is the order of the day. Both females and females have separate roles, and it is unlikely that a single female will successfully hatch and raise chicks.

The female purple finch is responsible for incubating the eggs, which usually lasts about 13 days. During this time, she developed a single brood area, which helps transfer heat directly to the developing eggs. However, males have also been observed incubating eggs.

During the incubation period, the male offers food to the female. This is very important as females are very reluctant to leave their nests. Both males and females feed chicks that are about two weeks old.