WhenToBird

Spinus tristis · Fringillidae

When Do American Goldfinches Arrive in Wyoming?

Adult American Goldfinch
Photo: Andy Wilson, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

American Goldfinches are in Wyoming all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from the second week of May, peak in mid May (24% of checklists), and fall back by early June. In the quietest week (the second week of October) they are still on about 6.4% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildMay 8-14the second week of May
PeakMay 15-21mid May
Fall back byJun 1-7early June
FewestOct 8-14the second week of October

Best: mid May. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of May and fall back by early June. Peak: on about 24% of Wyoming checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%10%20%30%Jan 1-7: 8.5% of 2543 checklistsJan 8-14: 8.2% of 2114 checklistsJan 15-21: 9.1% of 1984 checklistsJan 22-31: 8.3% of 2605 checklistsFeb 1-7: 8.9% of 1940 checklistsFeb 8-14: 9.4% of 1954 checklistsFeb 15-21: 12% of 2575 checklistsFeb 22-28: 11% of 1932 checklistsMar 1-7: 8.4% of 2486 checklistsMar 8-14: 7.5% of 2535 checklistsMar 15-21: 7.2% of 2726 checklistsMar 22-31: 6.2% of 4349 checklistsApr 1-7: 6.4% of 3300 checklistsApr 8-14: 7.3% of 3500 checklistsApr 15-21: 7.3% of 3701 checklistsApr 22-30: 8.0% of 5887 checklistsMay 1-7: 14% of 5341 checklistsMay 8-14: 19% of 6910 checklistsMay 15-21: 26% of 6884 checklistsMay 22-31: 25% of 10652 checklistsJun 1-7: 18% of 6807 checklistsJun 8-14: 15% of 6714 checklistsJun 15-21: 12% of 6708 checklistsJun 22-30: 13% of 8160 checklistsJul 1-7: 15% of 5755 checklistsJul 8-14: 15% of 5379 checklistsJul 15-21: 16% of 5299 checklistsJul 22-31: 17% of 6830 checklistsAug 1-7: 19% of 4581 checklistsAug 8-14: 19% of 4625 checklistsAug 15-21: 19% of 4466 checklistsAug 22-31: 19% of 6562 checklistsSep 1-7: 17% of 4543 checklistsSep 8-14: 14% of 4652 checklistsSep 15-21: 12% of 4186 checklistsSep 22-30: 8.0% of 5301 checklistsOct 1-7: 6.1% of 3248 checklistsOct 8-14: 6.2% of 3010 checklistsOct 15-21: 6.9% of 2624 checklistsOct 22-31: 8.9% of 3170 checklistsNov 1-7: 8.6% of 2110 checklistsNov 8-14: 7.7% of 2153 checklistsNov 15-21: 8.0% of 1971 checklistsNov 22-30: 8.8% of 2136 checklistsDec 1-7: 7.7% of 1646 checklistsDec 8-14: 8.0% of 1609 checklistsDec 15-21: 7.8% of 1954 checklistsDec 22-31: 10% of 2392 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Wyoming that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Wyoming

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Campbell CountyBest late August · 119 checklists that week, 2,801 in all70%
  2. Weston CountyBest late August · 55 checklists that week, 2,297 in all54%
  3. Platte CountyBest mid May · 83 checklists that week, 1,645 in all48%
  4. Sheridan CountyBest early August · 146 checklists that week, 6,459 in all47%
  5. Laramie CountyBest late May · 709 checklists that week, 15,593 in all46%
  6. Hot Springs CountyBest the second week of July · 35 checklists that week, 1,345 in all45%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Optomist ParkAlbany County, best early August · 31 checklists that week, 2,101 in all100%
  2. Camplex ParkCampbell County, best the second week of August · 24 checklists that week, 659 in all96%
  3. Mcmanamen ParkCampbell County, best late July · 21 checklists that week, 626 in all86%
  4. South Park Wildlife Habitat Management AreaTeton County, best early August · 22 checklists that week, 756 in all85%
  5. L A K ReservoirWeston County, best late May · 33 checklists that week, 531 in all83%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Wyoming, the American Goldfinch is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (23% of those checklists).

0%10%20%30%12 am: too few checklists (59) to judge1 am: too few checklists (76) to judge2 am: too few checklists (86) to judge3 am: too few checklists (79) to judge4 am: too few checklists (326) to judge5 am: too few checklists (2271) to judge6 am: 25% of 8808 checklists7 am: 22% of 18458 checklists8 am: 19% of 22143 checklists9 am: 14% of 21499 checklists10 am: 12% of 19425 checklists11 am: 11% of 16017 checklists12 pm: 9.7% of 13868 checklists1 pm: 9.7% of 12984 checklists2 pm: 9.1% of 12605 checklists3 pm: 9.3% of 11821 checklists4 pm: 9.0% of 10571 checklists5 pm: 11% of 8746 checklists6 pm: 12% of 6707 checklists7 pm: 12% of 4890 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (2323) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (554) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (134) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (59) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January8.5%8.2%9.1%8.3%
February8.9%9.4%12%11%
March8.4%7.5%7.2%6.2%
April6.4%7.3%7.3%8.0%
May14%19%26%25%
June18%15%12%13%
July15%15%16%17%
August19%19%19%19%
September17%14%12%8.0%
October6.1%6.2%6.9%8.9%
November8.6%7.7%8.0%8.8%
December7.7%8.0%7.8%10%

Neighboring states

  • Colorado: arrives late June, 6 weeks later than Wyoming
  • Utah: year-round, peaks mid November
  • Montana: arrives mid May, 1 week later than Wyoming
  • Idaho: year-round, peaks early August

Common questions

When do American Goldfinches arrive in Wyoming?
American Goldfinches are in Wyoming all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from the second week of May, peak in mid May (24% of checklists), and fall back by early June. In the quietest week (the second week of October) they are still on about 6.4% of checklists.
When do American Goldfinches leave Wyoming?
American Goldfinches never fully leave Wyoming: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by early June, but some are still reported in every week, about 6.4% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see a American Goldfinch in Wyoming?
The American Goldfinch is reported most often in mid May, on about 24% of Wyoming checklists.
Where in Wyoming are American Goldfinches seen most often?
By county, Campbell County, Weston County, and Platte County have the highest peak reporting rates for the American Goldfinch (counties with at least 200 checklists).