Rondeau Ric

 Female purple finch, Rondeau Provincial Park, October 17, 2023. Not common this time of year which makes it nice to see. Haemorhous purpureus Purple Finches seem to be losing numbers in eastern North America as House Finches have moved in after being brought to New York City in the 1950s. One study of finch behavior found that Purple Finches lost out to House Finches more than 95% of the times the two birds encountered each other. Source, all bout birds org

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, April 19, 2021. A blast of spring colour at the pond. Haemorhous purpureus Into their rich warbling songs, Purple Finches sometimes add in the sounds of other species, including Barn Swallows, American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Source -Cornell Lab of Ornithology- All About Birds

Sept 10, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. An occasional visitor to the feeders and pond in the yard. Haemorhous purpureus Into their rich warbling songs, Purple Finches sometimes add in the sounds of other species, including Barn Swallows, American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Still going through the archives. Haemorhous purpureus The Purple Finch uses its big beak and tongue to crush seeds and extract the nut. They do a similar trick to get at nectar without eating an entire flower, and also to get to a seed buried inside a fleshy fruit.

Last April. A nice breeding male purple finch at the pond one year ago. None around this year that look like this. Haemorhous purpureus Birds that eat fruits are doing plants a favor by distributing their seeds later on. But finches eat the seeds themselves. Though they may not look the part, finches are predators. From a seed's point of view, these birds' hefty beaks mark the end of the line. Birds that eat fruits are doing plants a favour by distributing their seeds later on. But finches eat the seeds themselves. Though they may not look the part, finches are predators. From a seed's point of view, these birds' hefty beaks mark the end of the line. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/purple_finch

We have had 7 or 8 purple finches, both male and female in the yard for a few days. Significantly different than house finches. Haemorhous purpureus The Purple Finch uses its big beak and tongue to crush seeds and extract the nut. They do a similar trick to get at nectar without eating an entire flower, and also to get to a seed buried inside a fleshy fruit.