Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus), Sunflower, Maricopa County

This Purple Finch was found and photographed by Marceline VandeWater on 26 February 2019

Casual and irregular fall and winter visitor to Arizona. Historically more frequent in small numbers, but still casual. Interestingly, it has been documented in Arizona nearly annually for the past several years, with the strongest movement into the state in several decades occurring in 2015/16.  However there was not a strong movement of this species this fall/winter. At the 2019 meeting the Arizona bird committee removed the western subspecies from the review list while retaining the eastern subspecies.

Separated from House and Cassin's Finches by the rounded culmen, short primary projection, even reddish color throughout (especially on the face and onto the flanks), the strong face pattern and blurry flank streaks. The long brown blurry flank streaking, brown on the sides of the cest and lack of pale tips to the greater coverts identify this as the western subspecies californicus

26 February 2019, photo by Marceline VandeWater

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