10 Birds With Purple Feathers | Birds Advice

Have you ever spotted a bird with purple feathers? Birds wearing purple plumage give you a sense of supremacy and majesty. Their striking color can enhance the beauty of your surrounding nature. You cannot take your eyes off.

So, do you want to know what birds have purple feathers? The most common purple-feathered birds are purple martins, purple gallinules, purplish-backed jays, purple starlings, varied buntings, violet sabrewings, purple grenadiers, purple honeycreepers, purple-breasted cotingas, crowned woodnympths, and more.

Are you willing to know these amazing birds? In this article, we’re going to talk about 10 purple-feathered birds you may never know about. After you’ve finished reading this article, we recommend you take a quick look at some blue-feathered birds.

Related Blog: Why Are Vultures Scavengers? Read here

1. Purple Martin

• Scientific Name: Progne subis
• Body Length: 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in)
• Weight: 0.1 to 0.13 lbs. (45 to 60 g)
• Wingspan: 39 to 41 cm (15.3 to 16.1 in)
• Lifespan: 5 to 7 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple martins are usually found in North America, especially on the west coast from British Columbia to Mexico. These birds breed in open, temperate areas throughout eastern North America. Typically, they make nests in cavities, hollow gourds, and man-made houses.

#Identification

Adult males of purple martins have iridescent, dark blue-purple features with brown-black tails and wings. However, adult females and immatures have grey plumage on the head. Their bills are slightly hooked. In addition, they have long, tapered wings and short, forked tails.

#Diet

Purple martins are insectivores, which means they mainly feed on a wide variety of insects. The most common insects purple martins eat are many wasps, winged ants, bees, true bugs, house flies, crane flies, beetles, spiders, moths, butterflies, and dragonflies.

2. Purple Gallinule

• Scientific Name: Porphyrio martinicus
• Body Length: 26 to 37 cm (10 to 15 in)
• Weight: 0.31 to 0.67 lbs. (141 to 305 g)
• Wingspan: 50 to 61 cm (20 to 24 in)
• Lifespan: 22 to 25 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple gallinules, also known as American purple gallinules, are available in the southeastern states of the US, the Pacific coast of Mexico, the Caribbean, and some parts of Central America. These birds inhabit freshwater marshes with dense vegetation.

#Identification

Both adult male and female purple gallinules have purplish head and body, a yellow-tipped, conical red bill, greenish wings and back, bright yellow legs and feet, and baby-blue frontal shield. Their tails are short, but the legs and toes are very long.

#Diet

Purple gallinules are mainly insectivores. These birds primarily prey on mollusks, spiders, bees, beetles, snails, worms, dragonflies, ants, leeches, and grasshoppers. They may sometimes eat small fish, frogs, eggs, and nestlings of other birds.

3. Purplish-Backed Jay

• Scientific Name: Cyanocorax beecheii
• Body Length: 35 to 41 cm (14 to 16 in)
• Weight: 0.42 lbs. (193 g)
• Wingspan: Approx. 50 to 55 cm (20 to 22 in)
• Lifespan: 7 to 8 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purplish-backed jays are usually available in tropical forests and the woodland of northwest Mexico. However, these birds were spotted once in Texas and southern California in 2014 during the breeding season. Typically, they remain in small groups.

#Identification

Purplish-backed jays have purple and black feathers throughout their body. These birds feature a powerful bill, a small ruffled, erectile crest, and a long tail. Their eyes and legs are yellow, but the bill, head, neck, and underparts are black.

#Diet

Purplish-backed jays are omnivores, which mean they can eat both plant and animals. However, these birds mainly eat invertebrates and small vertebrates. They usually visit and feed in fields of grain, road verges, and rubbish dumps. They sometimes catch flying insects.

4. Purple Starling

• Scientific Name: Lamprotornis purpureus
• Body Length: 22 to 27 cm (8.7 to 10.6 in)
• Weight: 0.2 to 0.24 lbs. (90 to 110 g)
• Wingspan: 30 to 43 cm (12 to 17 in)
• Lifespan: 2 to 3 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple starlings, also known as purple glossy starlings, are out there throughout Africa, especially in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, southern Sudan, northern Congo, and western Kenya. These birds inhabit a wide variety of savanna habitats.

#Identification

Purple starlings feature a chunky, large body. These birds have iridescent purple feathers with huge yellow-orange, rounded eyes, and a greenish back. Their bills are stout and hooked. The legs and claws are black.

#Diet

Purple starlings, like most other starlings, are omnivorous, which means they can eat both plant and animal origins. These birds mainly feed on a wide variety of seeds, fruits, and insects. They usually feed in trees but often prey on the ground.

5. Varied Bunting

• Scientific Name: Passerina versicolor
• Body Length: 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in)
• Weight: 0.02 to 0.03 lbs. (11 to 13 g)
• Wingspan: 21 cm (8.26 in)
• Lifespan: 10 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Varied buntings are mainly available in Mexico. These birds can hardly be found in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Typically, they mostly inhabit dense thorny bushes, upper stories of scattered trees, canyons, flat deserts, and along streams.

#Identification

Breeding males have a mix of purple and red feathers. They’re deep crimson above with a violet-blue face. On the other hand, nonbreeding males feature dark brown all over their bodies. The bills are short and conical, slightly curvier than those of other buntings.

#Diet

Varied buntings can eat both plants and insects. During the breeding season, they feed on seeds, berries, small fruits, and insects, especially grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, flies, moths, spiders, ants, crickets, etc.

6. Violet Sabrewing

• Scientific Name: Campylopterus hemileucurus
• Body Length: 15 cm (5.9 in)
• Weight: 0.02 to 0.03 lbs. (9.5 to 11.5 g)
• Wingspan: 20 to 22 cm (7 to 8 in)
• Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Violet sabrewings are one of the largest hummingbird species in the world. These birds are native to southern Mexico and some Central American regions, including Costa Rica and Panama. They usually inhabit the edges of mountain forests.

#Identification

Adult males of violet sabrewings are deep violet, which is close to purple. They also feature a dark green back, green wing covert, and a white tail. On the contrary, adult females are grey below and dark green above. Most importantly, they have a violet throat.

#Diet

As you may know, hummingbirds’ main diet is nectar. Eventually, violet sabrewings mainly feed on nectar taken from undergrowth flowers. Bananas and Heliconias are their favorites. In addition, they prefer artificial nectar at backyard feeders.

7. Purple Grenadier

• Scientific Name: Uraeginthus ianthinogaster
• Body Length: 13 to 14 cm (5 to 6 in)
• Weight: 0.02 to 0.03 lbs. (12 to 14 g)
• Wingspan: 15 to 16 cm (6 to 7 in)
• Lifespan: 7 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple grenadiers are year-round residents in Eastern Africa, especially in Kenya, Somalia, eastern and southern parts of Ethiopia, northern and central Tanzania, South Sudan, and Northeastern Uganda. These birds usually inhabit tropical and subtropical dry shrublands.

#Identification

Adult males feature a rufous hood, a purple belly, and red and purple around the eyes. In contrast, adult females are mostly rufous. They have pale-blue patches above and below the eyes. Both genders come with a red bill and a deep-blue tail.

#Diet

Purple grenadiers usually eat whatever is available. However, these birds mainly feed on grass seeds and various other plants. They also prey on termites and other insects. Mother birds feed their young with termites during the first few days after hatching.

8. Purple Honeycreeper

• Scientific Name: Cyanerpes caeruleus
• Body Length: 11 to 12 cm (4 to 5 in)
• Weight: 0.02 to 0.03 lbs. (12 to 14 g)
• Wingspan: 13 to 14 cm (5 to 6 in)
• Lifespan: 5 to 12 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple honeycreepers are mainly available in northern South America, including Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. Typically, these birds live in wet forests, edges, lowlands, foothills, and shrubby areas. Apart from that, they can be found in cocoa and citrus plants.

#Identification

Purple honeycreepers are very small, tanager-like birds. Adult males are indigo-blue (close to purple) with black masks, throats, and wings. Their yellow legs and long, slightly curved bills help you differentiate them from other honeycreepers in the wild.

#Diet

Purple honeycreepers are omnivores, meaning they can eat both seeds and insects. However, these birds mostly feed on spiders, various arthropods, and a wide variety of insects. In addition, they eat nectar and small fruits.

9. Purple-Breasted Cotinga

• Scientific Name: Cotinga cotinga
• Body Length: 18 to 22 cm (7 to 8.6 in)
• Weight: 0.15 to 0.17 lbs. (70 to 80 g)
• Wingspan: 26 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in)
• Lifespan: 15 to 18 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Purple-breasted cotingas belong to the Cotingidae family. These birds are mostly out there in northern South America, especially in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname. They usually inhabit tropical moist lowland forests in these regions.

#Identification

As the name suggests, purple-breasted cotingas are purplish throughout their breasts and the throat. However, these medium-sized birds have some deep blue underparts. On the other hand, adult females are brown overall. Both sexes have small heads.

#Diet

Purple-breasted cotingas are omnivores, meaning they can eat both plants and living insects. However, these birds mostly feed on a wide variety of fruits and berries. In addition, they prey on whatever insects found near their habitat.

10. Crowned Woodnymph

• Scientific Name: Thalurania colombica
• Body Length: 8.5 to 10.2 cm (3.34 to 4.01 in)
• Weight: 0.007 to 0.009 lbs. (3.5 to 4.5 g)
• Wingspan: 10 cm (4 in)
• Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

#Distribution and Habitat

Crowned woodnymphs are one of the species of hummingbirds, found in Central and Northern South America, including Guatemala, Belize, and northern Peru. These birds inhabit tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests and foothills.

#Identification

Adult males come with a violet crown, upper back, shoulders, and a belly. They also feature a shiny green breast and throat, a deeply forked blue-black tail, and a green lower back. Adult females, however, are duller green below and bright green above.

#Diet

Since crowned woodnymphs are one of the species of hummingbirds, they mainly rely on flower nectar. They also prefer artificial nectar provided by backyard birders. However, they can eat small insects and spiders.

Final Words

Once you spot these lovely purple-feathered birds, take some pictures of them. Offer them some delicious treats in your backyard if possible. As soon as you start taking care of them, they come to entertain you.

Anyway, we hope you’ve learned a lot about birds that come with purple feathers. If you have ever seen a purple-feathered bird we didn’t mention in this post, comment down below. Here are our Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter pages.