How to Attract the Purple Finch

Set up a bird feeder in a location that offers plenty of natural shelter. Shrubs, trees and bushes provide cover for birds and protection from predators. If you locate your feeder near the trees, you will increase the number of birds visiting your feeder. The purple finch will visit feeders located near windows, but prefers the shelter of nearby trees.

Choose a feeder that is easy to access and maintain. The purple finch isn't choosy when it comes to feeders so almost any type will do. It is especially attractive perched on hanging feeders, but it will happily eat from platform feeders and will even ground feed if there are not too many large birds to scare it away.

Provide an ample supply of black oil sunflower seeds. Striped sunflower seeds are less expensive, but they do not contain the amount of fat black oil seeds do. The fat provides the energy that active birds need, especially during the cold winter months. It is always preferable to spend the extra few dollars to provide a good energy source to keep your birds happy and healthy.

Provide a hanging feeder with wild bird seed, if you prefer. Purple finches will happily feed at a feeder supplied with wild bird seed, but many other birds will not. Other birds, like chickadees, will simply discard the wild seeds and pick out all the sunflower seeds. For this reason, providing a wild seed mixture is often a waste of money.

Supply a water source if possible. During cold winter months, this may not be possible in northern climates. The sound of running or dripping water attracts birds and supplies them with both drinking water and a place to bath. During nesting season, many birds use water to create mud for nests.