Purple finch

Haemorhous purpureus

The Purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a bird found in United States and Canada. Woods and gardens across North America. It eats leaves and other plant parts, nectar and seeds and nuts. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

See the Purple finch on the 3D globe →

Scientific name	Haemorhous purpureus
Region	North America
Found in	United States and Canada

🏡 Where the Purple finch lives

Woods and gardens across North America.

🍽️ What it eats

🌿 Leaves & plants40%
🌸 Nectar20%
🌰 Seeds & nuts20%
🐛 Insects & bugs10%
🍎 Fruit10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

LCNTVUENCREWEX

Least ConcernThere are plenty of these birds.

💡 Males look as if they were dipped in raspberry juice.

Hear the Purple finch

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC1014380. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Purple finch

Where does the Purple finch live?

The Purple finch lives in United States and Canada. Woods and gardens across North America.

What does the Purple finch eat?

leaves and other plant parts (about 40%), nectar (about 20%), seeds and nuts (about 20%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%), fruit (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Purple finch endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from North America

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.