Arkansas · Winter visitor

Purple Finchs in Arkansas

When purple finches are present in Arkansas, when they nest, which native Arkansas plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6b–8b yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus

Status in Arkansas: Winter visitor
Nesting window: Does not typically nest here
Hardiness zones: USDA 6b–8b

When to expect purple finches in Arkansas

In Arkansas, purple finches are winter visitors rather than breeders. Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time. While here they rely on tree seeds (ash, elm, tulip poplar); black-oil sunflower at feeders.

Humid subtropical, with the Ozark and Ouachita highlands in the northwest and the flat Mississippi Delta in the east.

Native Arkansas plants that attract purple finches

Of the regional native plants we track for Arkansas, these 8 provide food or cover purple finches use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Feeding purple finches through the Arkansas year

Purple finches are irregular winter visitors south of their breeding range — numbers swing year to year with northern cone and seed crops.

Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower, Nyjer.
In Arkansas's winter: Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time.

Full diet breakdown for purple finches · Best feeder for purple finches

Frequently asked

Are purple finches in Arkansas year-round?

No. Purple Finchs are winter visitors in Arkansas and do not typically nest there.

What native plants attract purple finches in Arkansas?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Smooth sumac, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Arkansas that provide food or cover for purple finches.

Other backyard birds in Arkansas

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay House Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.