This sparrow-sized finch has a chunky body and a proportionally large head with a stubby conical beak and a short, notched tail. Adult males have dark red face and crown, with red extending well onto chest and flanks. White belly, with blurry, brownish streaks. Reddish-brown face with red on the eyebrow and submoustachial stripe. Red back has heavy streaking. Red rump. Females and immature males brownish with coarsely streaked white underparts. Two distinct subspecies: purpureus east of the Rocky Mountains and californicus along the Pacific Coast. Eastern females have a bolder, whiter supercilium and are more crisply streaked than western females, and western males tend to have more brown and buffy tones in their plumage than eastern males.

Purple Finches are shorter in overall length, but appear heavier-bodied than the similar Cassin's Finches, with shorter wings and tail, and stubbier bill with curved culmen. Male Purples have redder underparts than Cassin's; females have coarser streaking and more defined face pattern. Xanthochromatic individuals, where red plumage is replaced yellow or yellow-orange, are much rarer in this species than in similar House Finch.
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Length: 15 (cm) Wingspan: 23 (cm)

Voice:

Song a rich warble, varying slightly with different populations. Call a staccatto pit pit, or soft two part chu-ree. Known to mimic phrases from the songs of other species and intersperse them into their regular song.

Habitat:

Breeds in coniferous and oak woodlands. Winters in a variety of woodland or semi-open areas, including residential areas or overgrown clearcuts.

Behavior:

Noisy but sometimes hard to see in tree tops; descends to visit feeders or forage lower to the ground during winter. Forms small flocks in fall or winter.

Feeding:

Diet mostly consists of seeds, nuts and berries; will eat insects when available.