New Hampshire State Bird

New Hampshire was one of the earliest states of the US. It was the 9th state and got its acknowledgment way back in 1788 on June 21. Concord would be its capital city. The nickname for New Hampshire is the Granite State. The state bird of New Hampshire is a most unusual and a species certainly worth taking note of. Let’s find out a bit more!

What Is The State Bird Of New Hampshire?

The official state bird of New Hampshire has been the Purple Finch since 1957. A number of birding societies of New Hampshire weighed in on the decision. An excellent choice, no doubt, for this is a truly stunning bird. The Purple Finch, while having purple in their name, has some shades of red in their plumage too. Sometimes, they visit your backyard during winter to enjoy the feeder you have put out for them.

What Makes The State Bird Of New Hampshire Unusual?

Roger Tory Peterson had a succinct description for the Purple Finch – He called them “a species that looks as if a Sparrow has been soaked in Raspberry juice”. They are a little different from the House Finches or the Red finches. That is why despite having the color red in their plumage, they are known as Purple Finches. This also might be because they sport a mauve red tone. They also have a bit of brown on their wings.

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New Hampshire State Bird Facts

Here are some interesting facts about the official bird of New Hampshire:

1. The beak of a Purple Finch is quite big. They use this beak along with the tongue to crush open the seeds and get to the nut. The Purple Finch will also use the same trick to suck nectar from a flower without having to munch on the entire flower. They do the same for fruits, when they want to access the seeds inside them.

2. The Purple Finches warble out a rich, sophisticated song. However, they also add in the songs of Brown-headed Cowbirds, American Goldfinches, Barn Swallows, and Eastern Towhees to the mix.

3. While you might not think so when looking at Purple Finches because of how small they are, they are actually considered helpful. This is more apparent when you think from the perspective of plants and seeds. The job of a bird is to distribute the seed after they enjoy the fruit. However, Purple Finch eats the seed itself. So, they don’t really contribute to the environment like most birds do, instead take from it.

Final Thoughts

The Purple Finch isn’t the most common sight in North America. However, New Hampshire certainly gets lots of visits from them. As the bird species has an amazing plumage color, they are great for bird watchers to enjoy.

Ornithology