Skip to Content Area

All About Birds

Donate

All About Birds

All About Birds

Birds
Live Cams
Courses
Bird ID

Purple Finch Range Map

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Range Map
Sightings Map

Range Map for Purple Finch

Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding

Migration

Short-distance migrant. Purple Finches are erratic migrants that follow cone crops. Typically they leave Canadian breeding grounds to winter widely across central and southeastern U.S, returning to specific regions roughly every other year. Birds that breed in northeastern U.S. and along the Pacific Coast may not migrate.

Learn more at Birds of the World

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

Looking for ID Help?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds.

Try Merlin Bird ID

Species in This Family

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Fringillidae)

Evening Grosbeak

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Black Rosy-Finch

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch

Cassia Crossbill

White-winged Crossbill

Lesser Goldfinch

Lawrence's Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read

Project FeederWatch
How to Identify the 3 Red Finches: Cassin's, House, and Purple
Project FeederWatch
How to Tell a Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak From a Female Purple Finch
Bird Population Studies
Massive Southern Invasions by Northern Birds Linked to Weather Shifts

K–12 Education
Bird-Friendly Winter Gardens
How to Photograph Birds in Flight
How long do birds incubate their eggs and how long do chicks stay in the nest?

About Us

Contact Us

© 2023 Cornell University

Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin

Search for species name or keywords

Or Browse Bird Guide by Family or Shape

Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin

Don't miss a thing! Join our email list

The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.