ID Tips: Purple Finch vs. House Finch

Purple Finch vs. House Finch can be a difficult ID, especially in irruptive years where Purple Finches move farther south out of their normal range. In this video you'll learn the best way to tell these two species apart with graphics, videos, and a special segment from winter finch expert Matt Young. You can download the identification graphic below.

Credits

Special thanks to the following people for allowing us to use their content in this video:

Matt Young for doing the interview with us at 2:30

Terry Sohl for allowing us to use his range maps

Male Purple Finch photo in graphic by Fyn Kynd used under CC license

Male House Finch in graphic by Rick from Alabama used under CC license

House Finch and Purple Finch female photos by Shenandoah National Park (images public domain)

All Cassin's Finch photos by Charles Gates under CC license 2:04-2:25 and 5:35

All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann

#IDTips #Finches #Identification

[BadgerlandBirding]

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[TurkishRapidTransit]

I've been struggling with this for MONTHS, thank you!! I feel way more confident that I can pick these birdos apart now.

[reefultz]

Thank you so much for having this.
I'm so glad that I found you.
I have a feeder that sits outside of my window that I watch and manage everyday.
I'm used to my house sparrows and my morning doves but these are new and very intriguing.
The brightness in their coloring is phenomenal. When the light hits they look like they're glowing like a fireplace in ash.
Bee-u-tee-ful!!!
Now I can distinguish, or try to learn to distinguish, between my house finches and my purple finches, which I now know that I have!
I'm so excited to share this information with my daughter.

[meade]

Thank you! I just saw 2 house finchs male and female. Obviously, the male grabbed my attention. He was shimmering wine red in the sun. Their song was beautiful, also😊

[HAPPYPUMPKN]

Thank you much for this info, I've been a 🐦 lover since being a small boy & you can always leans more ! Most of this info, I have learned on my own, but ALL of your info helped confirm my knowledge & taught me more too ! 🙏 bless you ALL ❤

[dbeachmawmaw]

Ok...I definitely get them confused. Thanks for the explanation!! Looks.like I've had the Purple Finch at my feeders more than House Finch. Thanks Ryan!!

[kristina_lynn]

So helpful! The white wing bar tip for houses helped me out a lot thanks

[jackyslavik]

Super helpful.

I'm out where both house and purple finishes are year-round it's definitely a challenge to tell them apart by sight. First time I remember seeing some purple finches they were at the feeder with some house finches and it took me a bit to realize why that one pair looked so off from the rest.

[YvonneSebastian]

Yes helpful.. I think I may have seen one purple at my feeder.. most are house finches..I could definitely tell he was different.. thanks guys.. happy birding❤️

[warrensmith]

Seen one on my feeder last week and wasn't sure what I was seeing though I was seeing things because I had never seen one before then I seen another one or it could have been the one I seen before which brought me here very informative thanks.

[PeterMcCartt]

Matt Young really knows his finches, I see him everywhere. Crossbills, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskins, you name it.

[stevemlejnek]

I have house finches nesting for the second year in a large artificial Christmas wreath that I hang inside my garage up in the rafters when not Christmas season. Therefore I keep my garage open to allow them to come and go as needed.

[juliar]

Excellent! Thank you. I like these ID tip videos.

[birdz.n.birdiez]

Thank you for this! Always a dilemma. And miss identified so often.

[cables]

Thank you for this video! I found it very interesting and so helpful!! I liked and subscribed! New fan from MS!

[boredwarlock]

Hey thanks for making this one guys! I saw a bunch of house finches (I think lol) in my backyard today and this really helped me out

[DBoer]

Thanks for another useful and enjoyable video!

[faunava]

Thanks for the info No doubt I will continue to misidentify little brown birds but I enjoyed your input.

[timothygerke]

thank you. I love finches. I have house finches nesting on my porch.

[ErinRenee]

Thanks for this information. Now hopefully I can tell if the finch that showed up to my house is a house or purple.

Update the finches that are at my house now are purple finches. That’s a new bird I can add to me list.