Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) [XC159056]
by Ian Cruickshank from Pedder Bay, Metchosin, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (call, pik calls)
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) [XC771112]
by Paul Driver from Elkins Park, PA, United States (nocturnal flight call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus).
Proposed subspecies taverneri (described from north-eastern Alberta, in western Canada) and nesophilus (from Newfoundland, in eastern Canada) considered clinal variants within nominate subspecies, and rubidus (from western Washington, in north-western USA) a synonym of californicus.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
purpureus (Gmelin, 1789) - Breeds southern Canada (except south-west) and north-eastern USA; migrates mostly to south-eastern USA.
californicus (Baird, SF, 1858) - Breeds south-western Canada (British Columbia) southern along Pacific coast of western USA to California (Cascade Mts and western Sierra Nevada). Non-breeding also to south-eastern California, Arizona and extreme north-western Mexico (extreme north-western Baja California).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet