Purple finches usually nest in the forested areas to the north of us. We see a few migrating this far south every winter, but we don’t see a lot of them unless there is a seed crop failure in ...

Female purple finches are mostly brown and white. The breast has dark streaks. A bold white stripe lies just above the eye; this white supercilium is absent in female house finches.

Female purple finch also cab be tricky to distinguish from female house finch. Both have streaking down the breast and flanks. In female house finch, these streaks are more continuous, whereas in ...

The female house finch is considerably darker than the female purple finch and lacks the distinct white eye patch. More: Outdoors column: Deer are well adapted to cold Minnesota winters ...

One female redwing remains all day in and among the cattails by our small pond, perhaps triangulating a place for her nest while waiting for her mate to show up. NOT REALLY PURPLE Back late one ...

As the house finch spread its range across the U.S., it brought along with it a disease that affects the eyes of the purple finch, causing its eyes to swell shut. This in turn has made it hard for ...

Female purple finches are boldly streaked with rich brown and have two bold, whitish lines across their faces, which makes them look like they’re wearing a mask.

The female house finch is considerably darker than the female purple finch and lacks the distinct white eye patch. More: Outdoors column: Deer are well adapted to cold Minnesota winters ...

Female purple finches have much stronger facial markings than female house finches and can be drab greenish to brownish. Male purple finches are often more “raspberry” colored than house finches, and ...

See one female purple finch at the top of the middle feeder and one on the right feeder. And if I’m not mistaken there is a juvenile female on the right side of the left feeder.

What Does a Cassin’s Finch Look Like? Male Cassin’s finches are hardly streaked, lending them a vibrant plumage. “To me, the Cassin’s finch always seems brighter,” says Dusty Downey, conservation ...