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 up through most of their second year are brownish with coarsely streaked whitish underparts. Two distinct subspecies: "purpureus" east of the Rocky Mountains and "californicus" along the Pacific Coast. Eastern females and immature males are paler, whiter below, with a bolder, whiter supercilium and more crisp streaking than western females and immature males. Their darker feathering is paler more gray-brown, while western birds are darker with some greenish tones on mantle and wing coverts. Adult western males tend to have more brown and bronzy-greenish 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 a slightly 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.