Wisconsin · Year-round resident

Purple Finchs in Wisconsin

When purple finches are present in Wisconsin, when they nest, which native Wisconsin plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–6a yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus

Status in Wisconsin: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–6a

When to expect purple finches in Wisconsin

Purple Finchs live in Wisconsin all year. Cold, snowy winters; boreal finches visit the north. 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 two Great Lakes shorelines, northern forest and southern prairie-oak savanna.

Nesting in Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin, 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.

Warm, humid summers.

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 Wisconsin plants that attract purple finches

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

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.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

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.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding purple finches through the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's winter: Cold, snowy winters; boreal finches visit the north.

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

Frequently asked

Are purple finches in Wisconsin year-round?

Yes. Purple Finchs are year-round residents in Wisconsin.

When do purple finches nest in Wisconsin?

Nesting in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, Black cherry, American elderberry, Spicebush are native plants in Wisconsin that provide food or cover for purple finches.

Other backyard birds in Wisconsin

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 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 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 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.