Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Purple Finch
Scientific name:	[Haemorphous purpureus]
Date:	10/31/26
Time:	2:45pm
Length of time observed:	heard over about 1 to 1.5 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	adult(?)
Sex:	male(?)
Location:	my yard in St George: 1630 E 2450 S
County:	Washington
Latilong:
Elevation:	~2800 ft
Distance to bird:	30 feet max
Optical equipment:	(Swarovski 8.5 x 42)
Weather:	overcast; periodic sprinkles
Light Conditions:	heavy overcast
Description: Size of bird:	--
(Description:) Basic Shape:	--
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	--
(Description:) Bill Type:	--
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	This is a total audio ID of a super-familiar species from my years in the PNW. I am 100% certain of the ID. From my eBird notes: "*While working in the yard a super-familiar "winter" vocalization from PNW yanked my attention: first, several distinctive, bright "popping" calls (unlike anything I hear in S Utah); next, a few characteristic disyllabic calls, sometimes with alternating inflections (superficially could be confused with a vireo); then, an abbreviated, somewhat mumbled rich, low-pitched warble; and back to the previous calls. So within a minute it gave pretty much its full repertoire. Something flushed all the feeder birds before I could get binocs on the bird. I spent a lot of time as a teen [and adult] listening to, listening for, and tracking down Purple Finches vocalizing during winter/rainy season in NW Wash (often the only bird sound to be heard). My first in UT; unexpected except for the unusual influx of high elevation/northern tier species "irrupting" to the lowlands this fall. (Jenner Bryson photographed one at Tonaquint recently.)"
Song or call & method of delivery:	See above
Behavior:	Singing from large ash tree, unfortunately out of sight.
Habitat:	Residential yard with several good-sized deciduous trees; numerous finches etc coming to my seed feeders.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Cassin's Finch would be the only confusable vocalization. The bright popping sound I believe is distinctive to Purple Finch -- that's what grabbed my attention initially. The corresponding di/trisyllabic call of Cassin's is squeakier. The warble I heard was a small sample size; though abbreviated its throaty, richness and low pitch point to Purple -- throatier and darker than Cassin's.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Purple Finch: Decades of listening to them in NW and SW Washington, particularly as a teen listening for and tracking them down (they can be tricky to track down in the foliage if they are not perched up to vocalize). During the winter/rainy season their calls were often the only bird sound to be heard. Those sounds were/are imprinted on the young-brain of my youth, so IDing the vocalization here in my yard was/is second nature, like riding a bike even after time away from riding. My familiarity with Cassin's Finch is limited. I have intentionally listened for/to them when in the correct habitat -- most recently: multiple times up Kolob Terrace, in W MT this summer. I heard one giving the squeaky di/trisyllabic call at Grafton about a month ago; could pick the sound out from all the other many vocalizations (House and L Goldfinch, Yellow-rumps, White-crowns, etc) and track it down and confirm the ID visually.
References consulted:	My young-brain imprinted audio memory
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Paul Hicks
Observer's address:	1630 E 2450 S
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	none
Date prepared:	11/01/26
Additional material:
Additional comments:	I don't anticipate a non-visual ID will be accepted, but my familiarity with this species' vocalizations leaves zero doubt in my mind. Birding-by-ear is what I do and have done for decades, since my earliest birdwatching, well before I ever used binocs.