This is a common question that many bird watchers have. At first glance, red finches and purple finches may look very similar. However, they are actually two distinct species within the finch family. While there are some key similarities between red and purple finches, there are also differences in their plumage, song, range, diet, and other traits that set them apart.
Appearance
In terms of appearance, red finches and purple finches do share some visual similarities. Both have conical beaks used for cracking seeds, chunky bodies, and notched tails. However, when looking more closely, several key differences emerge:
- Plumage color: Male purple finches have bright raspberry red plumage on their heads, breasts, backs, and rumps. Male red finches have bright cherry red plumage on their heads, breasts, backs, and rumps. The red color of the purple finch tends to have more of a purple-ish hue, while the red finch is a truer, richer red.
- Markings: In addition to the red plumage, male purple finches have brown streaking on their flanks and bellies. Male red finches lack these brown streaks and have solid red-orange underparts.
- Wing bars: When perched, purple finches display noticeable white wing bars. Red finches lack these wing bars.
- Female plumage: Female purple finches tend to be a plain light brown overall with heavy streaking. Female red finches have olive-brown plumage with darker streaks confined to the back and crown.
So in summary, the shades of red and the presence or absence of additional markings like wing bars help distinguish male red and purple finches. Females can be trickier to tell apart, but the heavier streaking of the purple finch female is a clue.
Songs and Calls
In addition to visual differences, purple and red finches have distinguishing songs and calls:
- Purple finch song: A blurry, warbling series of notes often described as “weary” or “wheezy.” The song goes “weee-oooz-zit, weee-oooz-zit.”
- Red finch song: A string of clear whistled notes. Their song is a lively, rolling “chi-DEE-dee-dee.”
- Calls: Purple finch call is a flat, blunt “pit” or “plink.” Red finch calls are sharper “seet” or “sik” notes.
So in a nutshell, purple finches have blurry, wheezy songs and blunt call notes. Red finches have crisp, clear whistled songs and sharp call notes. These vocal differences can help identify the two species when visual identification is difficult.
Range and Distribution
Purple and red finches also differ in their geographic breeding and wintering ranges across North America:
- Purple finch range: Breeds across Canada and the mountainous western United States. Winters primarily on the Pacific Coast and southeastern states.
- Red finch range: Breeds across eastern mountainous regions and northcentral United States. Winters along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast states.
So purple finches largely occupy more northern and western parts of North America, while red finches are found more in northeastern and central parts of North America. There is relatively little overlap between their ranges. Knowing which species occur in your region can aid identification.
Species | Breeding Range | Winter Range |
---|---|---|
Purple Finch | Across Canada and western mountainous U.S. | Pacific Coast, southeastern U.S. |
Red Finch | Northeastern and northcentral mountainous U.S. | Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast |
Habitat Preferences
Purple and red finches also differ slightly in their preferred habitats:
- Purple finch habitat: Coniferous or mixed forests, parks, suburban areas with trees.
- Red finch habitat: Deciduous forests, parks, suburban areas with trees and shrubs.
So while both finches do well in woodlands and suburban areas, purple finches have an affinity for conifers, while red finches prefer deciduous trees. Knowing what habitats are nearby can provide clues on which species is more likely to be present.
Diet and Feeding
One other difference is that purple finches have a more specialized diet relying heavily on tree seeds, while red finches are more generalists:
- Purple finch diet: Primarily consumes seeds from conifers like spruces, firs, hemlocks, and pines. Will also eat some deciduous seeds, berries, and buds.
- Red finch diet: More varied diet including seeds of deciduous trees like maples, oaks, elms, birches, as well as conifer seeds. Also eats buds, berries, and some insects.
So purple finches really depend on conifer seeds, while red finches have a more flexible, mixed diet. This can affect how they forage and where they feed.
Taxonomy
From a taxonomic perspective, purple and red finches are not even closely related within the finch family:
- Purple finch: Haemorhous purpureus
- Red finch: Acanthis flammea
Purple finches are in the genus Haemorhous along with other American rosefinches like the house finch. Red finches belong to the genus Acanthis along with sister species like the common redpoll.
So while these two finches may appear superficially similar, they are actually quite distinct species that are not very closely related within the phylogenetic tree of finches.
Key Takeaways on Taxonomy Differences
- Purple finch: Genus Haemorhous, related to other American rosefinches
- Red finch: Genus Acanthis, related to redpolls
- Not closely related within finch family tree
Hybridization
An interesting fact about purple and red finches is that they are known to occasionally hybridize where their ranges overlap. Hybrids display intermediate plumage traits like reddish-purple coloration, streaked underparts, and indistinct wing bars.
However, hybridization seems relatively rare, likely because purple and red finches have somewhat different habitat preferences and migration routes. The two species remain genetically distinct despite occasional interbreeding.
Conclusion
In summary, while red and purple finches may appear similar at first glance, they are actually quite distinct species that differ in plumage details, song, geographic range, habitat preferences, diet, taxonomy, and other traits. The two species are not even closely related within the finch family tree.
Occasional hybrid finches do occur where the two species come into contact, but purple and red finches largely maintain their genetic integrity and differences. So in conclusion, no – a red finch is not the same thing as a purple finch. They are separate species that a knowledgeable bird watcher can distinguish based on a closer inspection of several key identification criteria.