New Hampshire State Bird: Purple Finch
Fact-checked • Updated November 27, 2025
New Hampshire State Bird – Purple Finch
New Hampshire designated the Purple Finch as its official state bird on April 25, 1957. Males show raspberry-red plumage on the head and breast. Females appear brown with clear facial markings. Forests across northern and western regions hold stable populations of these sturdy finches.
Why New Hampshire Chose This Bird
Representative Robert S. Monahan filed the Purple Finch bill on February 12, 1957. Monahan worked as a forester at Dartmouth College. Three organizations backed him. The Audubon Society of New Hampshire supported the bill, along with the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs and the State Federation of Women's Clubs. Garden club members had watched these finches at feeders for decades.
Competition emerged quickly. Representative Doris M. Spollett from Hampstead sponsored the New Hampshire hen as an alternative. Eight years earlier, she had promoted the same domestic breed in the Senate. Lawmakers preferred a wild native bird. The Purple Finch had organized support. Spollett's proposal lost backing fast.
The House Committee on Recreation, Resources and Development held a hearing on March 27. Both chambers approved the bill without delay. Governor Lane Dwinell signed it on April 25, 1957. Residents heard these finches singing from treetops in spring. Winter brought them to backyard feeders. Familiarity drove the choice.
Legislative History
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The 1957 Campaign
Monahan's bill carried significant momentum from the start. Three respected statewide organizations had endorsed the Purple Finch before he filed the legislation. The New Hampshire Federation of Women's Clubs had actually selected it as their club's bird by popular vote back in 1927, thirty years before the state made it official. This long-standing preference from a major civic organization gave the proposal credibility. The Audubon Society brought scientific expertise and bird conservation credentials. Garden club members knew the species from their own yards.
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The Competing Proposal
Spollett's hen proposal represented a different vision for state symbols. She bred livestock and understood agriculture's importance to New Hampshire's economy. Her advocacy for a domestic breed instead of a wild species found little traction in the legislature. The Purple Finch campaign had better organization and broader appeal. After the House committee hearing, Spollett's bill never advanced. Legislators chose the native forest bird over domesticated poultry.
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Quick Passage
The bill moved through both chambers rapidly. No extended debate occurred. No amendments were proposed. Representatives and senators voted for the Purple Finch based on the organized support behind it. Governor Dwinell signed the measure into law less than ten weeks after Monahan filed it. The law appears in New Hampshire Revised Statutes as Section 3:10.
What This Bird Represents
Connection to Nature
Purple Finches live year-round in New Hampshire's northern and western forests. Residents in those regions saw and heard them regularly. The species inhabited coniferous woodlands that covered much of the state. Choosing this finch acknowledged New Hampshire's forest character. Unlike some state birds selected for symbolic reasons, the Purple Finch won because people actually encountered it.
Backyard Familiarity
Winter brought these finches to backyard feeders across the state. They ate sunflower seeds and joined mixed flocks with chickadees and nuthatches. Garden club members who supported the designation knew the species from personal observation. This direct experience mattered more than abstract symbolism. The bird connected New Hampshire residents to their immediate natural surroundings.
Physical Characteristics
Male Appearance
Adult males show raspberry-red coloring on the head, breast, back, and rump. The color appears brightest on the crown and rump. Roger Tory Peterson described them as looking like sparrows dipped in raspberry juice. Brown streaking marks the back despite the red wash. Wings and tail remain brown. The underparts mix raspberry tones with white, creating a cleaner appearance than similar species. Males take two years to reach full adult plumage.
Female and Immature Birds
Females lack the red coloring entirely. Light brown covers the upperparts with heavy dark brown streaking throughout. White underparts show dark brown streaks but no central breast spot like sparrows have. A distinctive white eyebrow line runs above the eye. A dark jaw stripe marks the face. These facial patterns distinguish Purple Finches from similar species. First-year males resemble females until they develop adult plumage.
Size and Build
Purple Finches measure between 4.7 and 6.3 inches long. Wingspan reaches 8.7 to 10.2 inches. Weight ranges from 0.6 to 1.1 ounces. They appear chunky and large compared to chickadees and kinglets. The conical bill looks powerful and exceeds any sparrow's beak size. Tail appears short and shows a clear notch at the tip. This stocky build helps distinguish them from sleeker sparrows.
Behavior and Song
Vocal Patterns
Males sing a rich musical warble that lasts one to three seconds. Songs contain six to 23 notes sung rapidly with no two consecutive notes at the same pitch. Considerable variation occurs each time the song repeats. You hear the warbling song most often in early spring when birds remain in flocks. Several males may sing simultaneously, creating a chorus. A territorial song emerges from April through July during breeding season. This version includes rapid notes all at the same pitch near the beginning, followed by warbling notes with a high-pitched finish. In flight, they make a distinctive tick call.
Feeding Behavior
These finches forage in the upper parts of trees and shrubs. They move to branch ends to eat seeds and soft buds. Small flocks form after breeding season ends. Winter diet? Seeds of conifers, ash, elm, and various weeds including ragweed. They visit feeders regularly and prefer sunflower seeds. Sometimes they crush flower bases to extract nectar, knocking blossoms off fruit trees in the process. Summer brings more variety. Berries from mulberry, raspberry, blackberry, and cherry supplement the seed diet. Insects like caterpillars and beetles provide protein during warm months.
Courtship Display
Males perform an energetic courtship display near females. The male hops with drooping wings and raised tail while puffing out his chest. He vibrates his wings until he rises slightly into the air. Some males hold nest material in their bill during this performance while giving soft song. Pairs form monogamous bonds. Females build nests on horizontal branches of conifer trees, usually 15 to 20 feet above ground but sometimes reaching 50 feet. The compact cup nest uses twigs, weeds, rootlets, and bark strips, lined with fine grass, moss, and animal hair.
Habitat and Range
Breeding Habitat
Purple Finches breed primarily in coniferous and mixed forests throughout New Hampshire. You find them most commonly in the northern and western portions of the state where extensive forests remain. They prefer moist woodlands with many openings and edges. Forest interior and woodland edges both provide suitable territory. Summer population concentrates where conifer trees grow abundantly. The species avoids heavily developed urban areas but appears in rural residential zones with adequate tree cover.
Winter Range
Some New Hampshire Purple Finches remain year-round while others migrate short distances. Migration patterns prove erratic and depend on food availability. Northern cone crops influence whether birds move south. Years with abundant cones keep more finches in the north. Poor cone production triggers larger southward movements. Winter habitat expands beyond breeding forests to include shrublands, overgrown fields, forest edges, and suburban backyards. Feeder visits increase during cold months. Population numbers at any location fluctuate significantly from year to year based on food supplies to the north.
Distribution Across New Hampshire
The species breeds throughout the state but occurs less frequently in eastern regions. Western and northern counties support higher densities. The White Mountain National Forest provides extensive suitable habitat. Coniferous forests in these areas offer prime breeding grounds. Lower elevation mixed forests also support populations. Watch for them along woodland edges and in suburban areas with mature trees during migration and winter.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 6
The Purple Finch isn't actually purple. Males display raspberry-red coloring rather than true purple tones. The scientific name references the color, but early naturalists apparently saw red as a shade of purple.
Purple Finch Songs & Calls
Hear the clear whistles and sharp calls of the Purple Finch. These field recordings capture their distinctive voice in natural habitat.
Audio licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and scientific databases.
Comprehensive species information including behavior, habitat, and conservation status • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Detailed identification guide with physical characteristics, measurements, and regional differences • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Official documentation of the 1957 legislative history and adoption process • Accessed: November 30, 2025
State-specific information about Purple Finch populations and conservation in New Hampshire • Accessed: November 30, 2025
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