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Haemorhous purpureus

(Gmelin, 1789)

Purple Finch

G5Secure Found in 99 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102759
Element CodeABPBY04020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyFringillidae
GenusHaemorhous
Synonyms
Carpodacus purpureus(Gmelin, 1789)
Other Common Names
Pinzón Purpúreo (ES) purple finch (EN) Roselin pourpré (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly merged with Carpodacus, but now treated as a separate genus on the basis of genetic data which show that the two genera are not closely related (AOU 2012 and sources cited therein).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-08
Change Date1996-12-04
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: northern British Columbia and Yukon to Newfoundland, south to California and northwestern Baja California, Great Lakes region, Pennsylvania, New England, and in the Appalachians south to West Virginia and Virginia. NON-BREEDING: southwestern British Columbia to northern Baja California, and from southern Canada to southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and central Florida.
Threat Impact Comments
In the eastern U.S., possibly threatened by competition with the introduced house finch.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Open coniferous forest (especially fir and spruce), mixed forest, forest edge, open woodland, second growth, cultivated areas with trees, swamp openings, city parks, suburbs. In migration and winter also in deciduous forest, weedy areas, bird feeders in residential areas. BREEDING: Nests usually high in conifers in the east, in both conifers and deciduous trees in the west (Terres 1980).

Ecology

Occasionally forms same-sex postbreeding flocks of 20-30. Somewhat gregarious in winter, flocking with pine siskins and American goldfinches (Byrd and Johnston 1991).

Reproduction

Clutch size 3-6 (usually 4-5). Probably 2 broods per year in west, 1 in east. Incubation 13 days, by female. Young tended by both parents, leave nest at about 14 days.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSuburban/orchard
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS5B,S2NYes
Island of NewfoundlandS5Yes
AlbertaS5B,S4NYes
British ColumbiaS5BYes
OntarioS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS4B,S3N,S5MYes
QuebecS5BYes
Yukon TerritoryS4BYes
New BrunswickS4B,SUN,S5MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
LabradorS2B,SUMYes
SaskatchewanS5B,S4NYes
Prince Edward IslandS4B,S5MYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
KansasSNAYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
IllinoisSNAYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
DelawareS2NYes
ArkansasS3NYes
VirginiaS1B,S5NYes
ConnecticutS4BYes
MississippiSNAYes
North CarolinaS2NYes
New YorkS5Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
WisconsinS4BYes
Rhode IslandS3BYes
MinnesotaSNRB,SNRNYes
ColoradoSNAYes
MichiganS5Yes
WyomingS5NYes
MissouriSNRNYes
IowaS5NYes
MassachusettsS4Yes
West VirginiaS3B,S3NYes
KentuckyS4NYes
South DakotaS4NYes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
OhioS3Yes
IndianaS3NYes
TennesseeS3NYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
LouisianaS4NYes
ArizonaS1NYes
MaineS4N,S5BYes
OregonS4Yes
WashingtonS4B,S4NYes
AlabamaS5NYes
TexasS4Yes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
VermontS5B,S4NYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
FloridaSNAYes
MarylandS3B,S3NYes
PennsylvaniaS4B,S4N,S5MYes
Roadless Areas (99)
Alaska (3)
AreaForestAcres
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
California (51)
AreaForestAcres
AgnewSequoia National Forest9,561
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Black ButteMendocino National Forest15,461
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
Cahuilla MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,952
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
Cherry LakeStanislaus National Forest1,106
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
CuyamaLos Padres National Forest19,631
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Dennison PeakSequoia National Forest6,293
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
East YubaTahoe National Forest17,968
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
GrindstoneMendocino National Forest26,031
Grouse LakesTahoe National Forest19,085
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - Virginia LksHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,050
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Middle YubaTahoe National Forest7,379
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
North MountainStanislaus National Forest7,856
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
QuatalLos Padres National Forest7,253
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
South ForkShasta-Trinity National Forest16,786
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
ThatcherMendocino National Forest16,652
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
Minnesota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
New Hampshire (11)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Oregon (5)
AreaForestAcres
ElkhornWillamette National Forest9,380
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Waldo - Many PrariesWillamette National Forest2,585
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Washington (9)
AreaForestAcres
Alpine Lakes Adj.Wenatchee National Forest57,104
EntiatWenatchee National Forest72,617
Glacier Peak BMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest19,328
Glacier Peak LMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest14,084
Gotchen CreekGifford Pinchot National Forest7,518
Green MountainOlympic National Forest4,617
Rock CreekWenatchee National Forest32,239
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
TeanawayWenatchee National Forest72,849
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09154 - St. Peters DomeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest4,002
References (23)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2012. Fifty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 129(3):573-588.
  4. Balda, R. P., and G. C. Bateman. 1971. Flocking and annual cycle of the piñon jay, <i>Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus</i>. Condor 73:287-302.
  5. Banks, R. C., and M. R. Browning. 1995. Comments on the status of revived old names for some North American birds. Auk 112:633-648.
  6. Bent, A.C., et al. 1968. Life histories of North American cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, towhees, finches, sparrows, and allies. Part Two. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 237. (reprinted by Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY).
  7. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  8. Byrd, M. A., and D. W. Johnston. 1991. Birds. Pages 477-537 in K. Terwilliger, coordinator. Virginia's endangered species: proceedings of a symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publ. Co., Blacksburg, Virginia.
  9. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  10. Harrison, H. H. 1979. A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp.
  11. Horn, H. S. 1968. The adaptive significance of colonial nesting in the Brewer's Blackbird. Ecology 49:682-694.
  12. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
  13. Ligon, J. D. 1971. Late summer-autumnal breeding of the piñon jay in New Mexico. Condor 73:147-153.
  14. Moore, W. S., and R. A. Dolbeer. 1989. The use of banding recovery data to estimate dispersal rates and gene flow in avian species: case studies in the Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. Condor 91:242-253.
  15. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  16. Peterson, R.T. 1980b. A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  17. Peterson, R.T. 1990b. A field guide to western birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  18. Sibley, D. A. 2000a. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  19. Tarvin, K. A., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1999. Blue Jay (<i>Cyanocitta cristata</i>). No. 469 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  20. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  21. Thompson, F. R., III. 1994. Temporal and spatial patterns of breeding brown-headed cowbirds in the midwestern United States. Auk 111:979-990.
  22. Williams, L. 1952b. Breeding behavior of the Brewer blackbird. Condor 54:3-47.
  23. Willson, M. F. 1966. Breeding ecology of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Ecological Monographs 36:51-77.