When do finches leave Colorado?

The House Finch does not leave Colorado: it is reported all year, from 36% of checklists in mid June to 46% in late February.

When is the best time to see finches in Colorado?

The House Finch is reported most often in late February, on about 46% of Colorado checklists.

Which finches are in Colorado?

House Finch, Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill, and Evening Grosbeak are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.

4 finch species in Colorado

When Do Finches Arrive in Colorado?

Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

House Finches, Pine Siskins, and Red Crossbills are the finches you are most likely to see in Colorado. The House Finch is in Colorado all year. It turns up on about 46% of checklists at its peak (late February) and on 36% in its quietest week (mid June).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekFeb 22-28late February

Quietest weekJun 15-21mid June

Best: late February. Here all year. Peak: on about 46% of Colorado checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Finches in Colorado, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Feb 22-28	–	46%
Pine Siskin	May 1-7	May 1-7	Jul 15-21	Aug 15-21	13%
Red Crossbill	Dec 8-14	Feb 22-28	Jul 22-31	Oct 22-31	4.1%
Evening Grosbeak	Jul 1-7	Jul 15-21	Aug 8-14	Jun 8-14	3.0%

House Finch
Pine Siskin
Red Crossbill
Evening Grosbeak

Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Colorado 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.

Where in Colorado

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Broomfield CountyBest mid July · 166 checklists that week, 16,139 in all74%
Elbert CountyBest early December · 41 checklists that week, 5,660 in all71%
Arapahoe CountyBest the second week of July · 1410 checklists that week, 98,030 in all71%
Denver CountyBest the second week of July · 1074 checklists that week, 77,673 in all69%
Douglas CountyBest late July · 1415 checklists that week, 60,057 in all63%
Jefferson CountyBest early August · 3085 checklists that week, 183,749 in all62%

All finches in Colorado

9 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 7 are summer visitors, and 1 are winter visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Feb 22-28	46%
2	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	Jun 22-30	Aug 8-14	26%
3	Lesser Goldfinch	Summer visitor	Feb 8-14	Aug 8-14	20%
4	Pine Siskin	All year, most in summer	May 1-7	Jul 15-21	13%
5	Red Crossbill	Summer visitor	Dec 8-14	Jul 22-31	4.1%
6	Cassin's Finch	Summer visitor	Sep 15-21	Apr 8-14	3.7%
7	Evening Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Jul 1-7	Aug 8-14	3.0%
8	Pine Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Jun 1-7	Jul 15-21	1.5%
9	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	Winter visitor	Dec 1-7	Jan 15-21	1.2%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Colorado?: The House Finch is in Colorado all year. It turns up on about 46% of checklists at its peak (late February) and on 36% in its quietest week (mid June).
When do finches leave Colorado?: The House Finch does not leave Colorado: it is reported all year, from 36% of checklists in mid June to 46% in late February.
When is the best time to see finches in Colorado?: The House Finch is reported most often in late February, on about 46% of Colorado checklists.
Which finches are in Colorado?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill, and Evening Grosbeak are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.