Purple Finch (Carpodacus Purpureus) David Ewert

Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) David Ewert

Hartwick Pines State Park, Crawford Co., MI May, 2009 © Willie McHale

(Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)

The Purple Finch, similar in appearance to the Distribution The breeding distribution of the Purple Finch in House Finch, is relatively well known because it Michigan seems to have changed very little frequents bird feeders. The raspberry to pinkish since Barrows (1912) described it as a "not colored males are often accompanied by heavily uncommon summer resident" north of the streaked brown females and young males. Saginaw and Grand River Valleys, including the Purple Finches are distinguished from House UP and islands in Lake Michigan, with Finches by their thicker streaks and, for males, occasional breeding in southern Michigan. by their pinkish plumage unlike the reddish Wood (1951) described a similar breeding plumage of House Finches. During the breeding distribution although he was skeptical of season, their musical and varied songs enrich breeding reports from the Lansing and the morning orchestra of bird song whose other Kalamazoo areas. Purple Finches have been players often include the Winter Wren, White- reported during the breeding season on the throated Sparrow, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. following islands: Isle Royale in Lake Superior, Purple Finches are common breeders in the UP Beaver Island, and the Fox and Manitou Islands and northern LP in coniferous and mixed in Lake Michigan (Barrows 1912, Wood 1951, forests. The Purple Finch breeds in coniferous Bowen and Seefelt 2002), and Bois Blanc Island and mixed forests from southeastern Yukon in Lake Huron (MBBA II). During MBBA I, across boreal Canada to Newfoundland south Purple Finches were confirmed as breeding through the Pacific coastal mountains to as far south as Ottawa, Genesee, Lapeer and California, the northern Great Lakes states, St. Clair counties and probable breeding northeastern Ohio, New England, and in the further south in Allegan and Ingham counties Appalachians to West Virginia and Virginia (Ewert 1991). It appears that the distribution of (Wootton 1996). It winters from southern Purple Finch has been consistent for 100 years portions of the breeding grounds south to the with most Purple Finches breeding in the Gulf Coast and in lowlands of the southwestern northern 2/3 of Michigan and occasional, United States and extreme northwestern Mexico sporadic breeding in the southern third of the (Wootton 1996). Although at least some Purple state (McPeek and Adams 1994). Results from Finches migrate each year, numbers at any one MBBA II describe a similar breeding range site vary widely from year to year depending on south to Macomb (confirmed), Ingham food supplies.

(probable) and Kent counties (confirmed). Breeding Biology Collectively, these data suggest that the Purple Finches typically nest from mid-May to distribution of breeding Purple Finches has June. Nests are characteristically found toward remained stable between MBBA I and MBBA the ends of branches in conifers from 0.8-18.3 m II. above ground (McPeek and Adams 1994, Wootton 1996). The mean clutch size is Purple Finches summer in both the interior and approximately four eggs (Wootton 1996). edge of coniferous or mixed forests, especially Males and females feed nestlings in mesic forests (Freemark and Merriam 1986, (Wootton 1996). These characteristics of Wootton 1996). In Michigan, Wisconsin nesting biology suggest that nests should (Gostomski 2006), and Ontario (Leckie and be reasonably easy to locate. Cadman 2007), Purple Finches have been found to be strongly associated with conifers. In Abundance and Population Trends Michigan this includes such conifer habitats as (Click to view trends from the BBS) moist coniferous and mixed forests, bogs, The Purple Finch seems to be widespread and riparian areas, Great Lakes shorelines and less common as a breeding species in northern commonly in drier habitat (jack pine and pine Michigan (McPeek and Adams 1994), northern plantations), or ornamental evergreen plantings Wisconsin (Gostomski 2006), much of Ontario, in suburban settings. In jack pine barren especially eastern Ontario (Leckie and Cadman landscapes they are found along rivers, 2007) and northern New York (Young 2008). streams, and lakes and in wetlands but rarely There has been a slight increase in the percent in jack pine forest (pers. obs.). Purple Finches of townships occupied by Purple Finches commonly breed in adjacent Ontario and between MBBA I and MBBA II in the UP (68% Wisconsin, and locally in northeastern Ohio, but to 73%) but slight decreases in the northern LP none were found during the Indiana Breeding (65% to 54%) and the southern LP (7% to 5%). Bird Atlas (Keller and Castrale 1998). In Population trends of Purple Finches, based on Ontario, Purple Finches breed throughout most Breeding Bird Survey data from 1983-2007, for of the province, except most of the far north and Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan indicate a the Carolinian region of far southern Ontario slight, but insignificant increase (0.1%/yr) and (Leckie and Cadman 2007). Purple Finches are for Michigan alone, a slight but insignificant relatively common breeders in northern decrease (0.1%/yr). In Ontario, there have been Wisconsin but local and uncommon breeders in significant annual declines of 2.6% since 1968, central and southern Wisconsin (Gostomski possibly a result of declines in spruce budworm 2006). As in Ontario and Michigan, the populations (Leckie and Cadman 2007). breeding range of this species in Wisconsin has apparently changed little historically Conservation Needs (Gostomski 2006). In Ohio, the breeding range At least in Michigan, because the Purple Finch of Purple Finches has apparently expanded since is relatively common and uses habitats that will the 1950s and now includes much of likely persist in the short term, there do not northeastern Ohio where they tend to breed appear to be any imminent conservation around tall ornamental conifers rather than concerns. However, especially at the natural habitats (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). southern edge of the breeding range, Purple Finches may be dependent upon the availability of conifer plantations (Gostomski 2006, Young 2008) and coniferous ornamental plantings (Peterjohn and Rice 1991, Young 2008). Long

© 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) David Ewert term, projected changes in climate may result in State Mus. Bull. 471:34-46. a reduced or loss of the breeding range of the Keller, C.E. and J.S. Castrale. 1998. Purple Purple Finch in Michigan (Price 2000). Finch (Carpodacus purpureus). In Castrale, Although decreases in occurrence of this species J.S., E.M. Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. 1998. in both the southern and northern LP and Atlas of Breeding Birds of Indiana. Indiana increases in the UP are consistent with predicted Department of Natural Resources, Division changes in distribution due to climate change, of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and the magnitude of the change is small and the Endangered Wildlife Program, Indianapolis, overall distribution of Purple Finches during the IN. breeding season in Michigan has remained Leckie, S. and M.D. Cadman. 2007. Purple unchanged between MBBA I and MBBA II. Finch (Carpodacus purpureus). In Cadman, However, if this trend intensifies, Purple M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Finches might retreat to the mixed forests and Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. boreal forests of Canada. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Literature Cited Naturalists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Ontario. Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural McPeek, G.A. and R.J. Adams (eds.). 1994. The College, East Lansing, MI. Birds of Michigan. Indiana University Press, Bowen, K.D. and N.F Seefelt. 2002. The Indianapolis, IN. avifauna of Garden Island, Michigan. Peterjohn, B.G. and D.L. Rice. 1991. The Ohio Michigan Birds and Natural History 9:187- Breeding Bird Atlas. The Ohio Department 197. of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Areas and Preserves, Columbus, Ohio. 416 Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. pp. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, Price, J. 2000. Modeling the potential impacts of 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, climate change on the summer distributions Environment Canada, Ontario Field of Michigan's nongame birds. Michigan Naturalists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Bird and Natural History 7:3-13. Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Ontario. MP75. University of Michigan Museum of Ewert, D.N. 1991. Purple Finch (Carpodacus Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. purpureus). In Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, Wootton, J.T. 1996. Purple Finch (Carpodacus and R.J. Adams, Jr. 1991. The Atlas of purpureus). In The Birds of North America Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State Online, No. 208 (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: University Press. East Lansing, MI. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved from Gostomski, T. 2008. Purple Finch (Carpodacus the Birds of North America Online: purpureus). In Cutright, N.J., B.R. http://bna.birds.corneI1.edu.bnaproxy.birds. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. 2006. Atlas of cornel1.edu/bna/species/208 the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Young, M.A. 2008. Purple Finch (Carpodacus Society of Ornithology. Waukesha, WI. pupureus). In McGowan, K.J. and K. Keller, J. K. 1990. Using aerial photography to Corwin. 2008. The Second Atlas of Breeding model species-habitat relationships: the Birds in New York State. Cornell University importance of habitat size and shape. N.Y. Press, Ithaca, NY.

Suggested Citation

Ewert, D. 2010. Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus). In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2010. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed online at: .