Purple Finchs in Michigan

Purple Finchs live in Michigan all year — breeds in the north. Lake-effect snow and long cold spells; Purple Finches breed in the north and winter farther south. 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, strongly shaped by the Great Lakes; colder and snowier in the Upper Peninsula.

Across Michigan, purple finches typically nest from May–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.

A compressed nesting season; bluebirds usually manage one or two broods.

• Purple Finchs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as serviceberry, winterberry, nannyberry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

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

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 Michigan's winter: Lake-effect snow and long cold spells; Purple Finches breed in the north and winter farther south.

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