Purple Finch

A Purple Finch appeared at our bird feeder on 12 November 2018. Because these finches take two years to become purple, this bird could be a female or an immature male.

Purple finches used to be classified in the genus Carpodacus, along with European rosefiches. European ornithologists even called our bird the American Rosefinch. Numerous genetic studies, however, conclude that Purple, Cassin’s, and House Finches are not closely related to the European birds. The American finches are now placed in the genus Haemorhous. These studies also indicate that Purple and Cassin’s Finches differentiated about 3 or 4 million years ago. This stock arose from House Finch ancestors about 9 to 10 million years ago (Wootton 1999).