Next up! The House Finch and the Purple Finch!

 House Finch

The House Finch is that other red bird that you may see in your backyard. The male is red like the one above, {although that one has a lot of red} and the female lacks the red coloring like in the photo below on the right. House Finches also eat mostly seeds. Check out the shape of the seed eating bill. They are here year-round. I see more at my feeders in the winter.

The male House Finch above had so much red on it. 

The photo below shows a juvenile or young House Finch. I love his little "horns" on his head!

Purple Finch

Next up is the Purple Finch and it is often confused with the House Finch. 

Notice that the red coloring as in the male {above} is more of a 

raspberry-colored wash from its head on down. The streaking in the belly area is 

faint and blurry. In my area, this bird is more of a rarity than the House Finch. 

I only see a few Purple Finches every winter. Be sure to watch the 

2 minute video at the link below.

The above photo is of the female Purple Finch. Notice the white stripes on its face. That is the field mark to watch for when deciding between a female House Finch or female Purple Finch.

Here is a comparison photo of the Purple Finch and 

an American Goldfinch. The Purple Finch is a bit larger.

VIDEOS:

Click on the links below.

How to Identify the House Finch vs. Purple Finch  {a video that is less than 3 minutes}

House Finch on All About Birds Website  

Purple Finch on the All About Birds Website