Purple finch vs house finch?

[bmc]

From the bird book I got, both of these birds, well the males look the same to me. I think the book said the purple finch has more of a raspberry color to it? I've got a bunch of them around the house, but am not sure on which one they are. They've been eating the orange halves I put out for the oriels and I even had one drinking out of my hummingbird feeder. I did take some pics and will post them when I get a chance, I'm at work now. Any photos comparing the 2 would be great!

Brian

[M.T. Bucket]

Purple Finch male:

Purple Finch female:

House Finch male:

House Finch female:

Female House Finch has a plain face while female Purple Finch has bold stripes on the face. I think the females are easier to tell apart.

Male House Finch is red on the eyebrow, throat, and breast (and a little patch on the rump) but light on the underparts, while the male Purple Finch is more uniformly washed with red on it's head and foreparts and usually has red at the side of the tail and on the back. The male House Finch also has dark, blurry stripes on the sides of the belly while stripes are not obvious on the sides of the male Purple Finch.

Another clue; Purple Finches are far less likely to be seen up here in the winter than House Finches. At my place, Purple Finches usually blow through for a few weeks in the spring and fall and I see them in the woods through the summer. House Finches tend to hang around my place in colder months. I have had both species in my yard at the same time. Today I actually caught a glimpse of 2 Purple Finches drinking sugar water from my oriole feeder. I've had them eating oranges and jelly before, but never sugar water.

[Royce Aardahl]

Here's a young house finch ready to take it's first flight from the wreath by our front door. Mamma raised 3 in there. Man did it stink when I cleaned it up after they left!