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Nature Smart: Identifying the purple vs. the house finch

As house finches have spread, they sometimes cross paths with purple finches. Male house finches (below) have bright red on their heads and chest with streaky brown bodies, while male purple finches (above) look deeper raspberry-red overall, with less streaking and more extensive color typically. Male purple finches are a bit bulkier, with a thicker neck, larger head, and heavier bill. House finches look slimmer, with a longer tail and a more delicate bill. (Photos by Stan Tekiela)

Identifying some bird species can be challenging, especially with some species of small birds.
For example, many people struggle when trying to differentiate between the house finch (Haemorphous mexicanus) and the purple finch (Haemorphous purpureus). Right away you will notice that the Genus name (Haemorphous) is the same for both birds.

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