There have been numerous Purple Finches at my feeders this year, UN-like most
years! I've always had many House Finches, and have been able to make close
comparisons. The Purple (this time of year) do not look: "Dipped"...they are
quite muted in colour. The head of the Purple is shaped differently..having a
sort of slightly peaked top, whereas the House has a very rounded, flattish
head. Too, the Purple Female has a dark eye-stripe with a white stripe above
and below that. Hope this helps with your IDs... Oh, the Male House DOES have a
raspberry colored head, tho' the Female is streaked brown.
Katharina
DOG is LOVE
watershed address: Newton's Pond>Beales Mill Run>Nomini Creek>Potomac
River>Chesapeake Bay>Atlantic Ocean
On Saturday, February 6, 2021, 7:12:18 AM EST, David and Beth
<beetreefarm@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It's taken me a minute to work up the courage to ask this question to all of
you, but in preparation for next weekend, it must be asked:
How exactly can you differentiate between the house and purple?
I've used the Cornell resources, I've checked numerous field guides including
my very favorite Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, and when I
finally think I've got it, I see red all the way to the base of the tail of
what I thought was a house finch and think - wait a minute, Pete says, "House
Finch looks like it had wine thrown in its face; Purple was dipped in it."
Last year I decided that one was more "delicate" than the other. I know
purples are irruptive - maybe they aren't around here now? Were they last
year? This is what comes from birding solo - questions and lots of second
guessing.
And is it really possible that there was a horned lark at Belle Isle the other
week like I saw on eBird? How could I have missed it? Dunlins and Ruddy
Turnstone at Bethel Beach were lovely.
Thanks all,Beth Rohne Ottoman
