Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) [XC159587]
by Ian Cruickshank from Rocky Point Bird Observatory, Metchosin, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (call, various calls, pik calls in flight by 4 birds at end)
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) [XC161662]
by Richard E. Webster from Glintz Lake Road, Sooke, British Columbia, Canada (song)
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).