New York · Year-round resident

Purple Finchs in New York

When purple finches are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b

When to expect purple finches in New York

Purple Finchs live in New York all year. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. 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, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, 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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

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

Native New York plants that attract purple finches

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

Serviceberry

Amelanchier canadensis · Tree

Early-summer berries.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Winter fruit.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Fall seed.

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.

Feeding purple finches through the New York 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 New York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

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

Frequently asked

Are purple finches in New York year-round?

Yes. Purple Finchs are year-round residents in New York.

When do purple finches nest in New York?

Nesting in New York typically runs May–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–7 eggs, incubated for 13 days.

What native plants attract purple finches in New York?

Serviceberry, Winterberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Black-eyed Susan, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for purple finches.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren 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 Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Fox Sparrow

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.