Purple Finchs in Maine
When purple finches are present in Maine, when they nest, which native Maine plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–6b yard.
- Status in Maine
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- June–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3b–6b
When to expect purple finches in Maine
Purple Finchs live in Maine all year. Long, snowy winters; boreal finches and Pine Grosbeaks irrupt south in poor cone years. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward tree seeds (ash, elm, tulip poplar); black-oil sunflower at feeders.
Humid continental with a long, rocky Atlantic coast and extensive northern spruce-fir forest.
Nesting in Maine
Across Maine, purple finches typically nest from June–July. Nest site: cup nest in conifers, usually well out on a branch. Females lay 2–7 eggs, incubate for 13 days, and young leave the nest after 13–14 days.
Cool, short summers; many songbirds do not begin nesting until late May.
- Purple Finchs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern red cedar, serviceberry, winterberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Maine plants that attract purple finches
Of the regional native plants we track for Maine, these 8 provide food or cover purple finches use:
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Feeding purple finches through the Maine 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 Maine's winter: Long, snowy winters; boreal finches and Pine Grosbeaks irrupt south in poor cone years.
Full diet breakdown for purple finches · Best feeder for purple finches
Frequently asked
Are purple finches in Maine year-round?
Yes. Purple Finchs are year-round residents in Maine.
When do purple finches nest in Maine?
Nesting in Maine typically runs June–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–7 eggs, incubated for 13 days.
What native plants attract purple finches in Maine?
Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Maine that provide food or cover for purple finches.
Purple Finchs in other regions
Other backyard birds in Maine
Sources
- Purple Finch — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Purple Finch life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Purple Finch — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Maine
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.