Males sing from habitual song posts often located at the very tops of conifer trees. Nests are most often found far out on horizontal branches in conifers and are made of concealing material. Food consists mostly of seeds, buds, blossoms, and fruit, usually taken from the outer branches of trees and occasionally from the ground. Purple Finches display strong site fidelity to breeding areas, but in winter, flocks of Purple Finches may range widely, depending on local food supplies, and a wider variety of habitats is used. In the East, Purple Finches stage winter irruptions biennially, probably in response to cyclical variations in food supply.
Western populations exhibit an altitudinal migration, moving to lower elevations in winter.
The raspberry color is deepest on the head, nape, face, throat, breast, flanks, and rump. The hindneck, back, and scapular feathers are deep red streaked with brown. Wings and tail are brown and the belly and undertail coverts are white. Females are quite different, lacking any red color. The head is pale brown, with fine dark streaks, and a dark ear patch separating a broad white suprecilium and a white moustache stripe.