The Purple Finch State Birds (week 7)

The Purple Finch is the state bird of New Hampshire. It is a strawberry colored bird about the size of a sparrow, with a forked tail, (sort of like a scissor tail, but much shorter.), and a thick cone shaped bill. They nest and breed in coniferous (trees with needles or pine trees) and mixed forests. Males will sing from the tree tops, and build nests on the outer reaches of the pine tree branches. Purple Finches eat seeds, berries, blossoms and fruit; so you will likely see them at a bird feeder if you are patient. It would not be uncommon to see a Purple finch in our area in the winter, however during the winter some will migrate all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Purple Finches colors vary slightly from red and purple to brown. The female has a much drabber look and are less colored and will lay from 3 to 5 light green blue eggs, marked with black and brown. Eggs are laid in a cup of grass, twigs, and hair that the finches make on the outer branches of the pine tree, the female will sit in the nest, or incubate, the eggs for 13 days before the babies hatch. Purple Finch populations have dwindled over the past number of years because of a competition for habitat with the very similar looking House finch.

Both pictures were taken in our yard.

For more info and the Finches, and their call check out:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Finch/id

If you want to know more about nesting, building a nesting box and feeding a Purple Finch check out:
http://www.birdhouses101.com/Purple-Finch.asp