New Hampshire State Bird
Purple Finch

Official New Hampshire State Bird: Purple Finch
Family: Fringillidae, Finches
Scientific name: Carpodacus purpureus
Length: 6" (15 cm)
Diet: Primarily seeds, insects, fruit some tree buds and blossoms from winter to early spring. Adds insects in spring, feeds heavily on fruit in summer. Young fed mostly seeds.
Voice: Listen to Purple Finch song and calls (recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Song a slightly hoarse, warbled plidi tididi preete plidi tititi preeer; bright, lively, and clearly structured with accented ending; generally ends with strongly descending trill cheeeer; overall trend rising. Call a short, whistled phrase like vireo song tweeyoo. Flight call a light, hard pik with musical overtones.
Habitat: Found in coniferous or mixed woodland borders, suburbs, parks, orchards.
Displays: Courting male hops about dangling wings and puffing out chest. With wings vibrating rapidly and tail cocked, male softly vocalizes and may rise 6-12" off the ground, occasionally while holding nest material in beak and singing.
Number of broods: 1
Nest: In coniferous or deciduous tree, 6-40' above ground, on horizontal branch, far from trunk. Neat shallow cup of twigs, fine roots, grass, lined with rootlets, hair, moss.
Eggs: Averages 4-5 pale greenish-blue eggs, marked with browns, blacks. 0.8" (20 mm).
Incubation period: 13 days
Fledge: 14 days after hatching
Longevity Record: 11 Years and 9 months (according to USGS Bird Banding Lab)

The Purple Finch was adopted in 1957 as the New Hampshire State Bird by the State Legislature changing the Official State Bird from the New Hampshire Hen to a native wild bird.

Today, only Delaware, Rhode Island, and South Dakota still have non-native birds as the official State Birds.
Go to Delaware State Bird (Blue Hen).
Go to Rhode Island State Bird (Rhode Island Red Hen).
Go to South Dakota State Bird (Ring-necked Pheasant).

New Hampshire State Bird Books