When do finches leave Connecticut?

The House Finch does not leave Connecticut: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in the second week of January to 32% in late October.

When is the best time to see finches in Connecticut?

The House Finch is reported most often in late October, on about 32% of Connecticut checklists.

Which finches are in Connecticut?

House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.

3 finch species in Connecticut

When Do Finches Arrive in Connecticut?

Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

House Finches, Purple Finches, and Pine Siskins are the finches you are most likely to see in Connecticut. The House Finch is in Connecticut all year. It turns up on about 32% of checklists at its peak (late October) and on 20% in its quietest week (the second week of January).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekOct 22-31late October

Quietest weekJan 8-14the second week of January

Best: late October. Here all year. Peak: on about 32% of Connecticut checklists.

Jancommon
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 Connecticut, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Oct 22-31	–	32%
Purple Finch	Mar 22-31	Mar 22-31	Oct 22-31	Mar 1-7	10%
Pine Siskin	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 22-31	Nov 22-30	4.4%

House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin

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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Tolland CountyBest early July · 532 checklists that week, 39,004 in all42%
New London CountyBest the second week of November · 1064 checklists that week, 65,205 in all38%
New Haven CountyBest mid October · 2657 checklists that week, 139,721 in all38%
Middlesex CountyBest early July · 672 checklists that week, 39,919 in all35%
Fairfield CountyBest the second week of July · 1715 checklists that week, 139,848 in all34%
Litchfield CountyBest late February · 1281 checklists that week, 69,766 in all31%

All finches in Connecticut

4 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 1 are summer visitors, 1 are winter visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	Apr 15-21	Aug 8-14	61%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Oct 22-31	32%
3	Purple Finch	Winter visitor	Mar 22-31	Oct 22-31	10%
4	Pine Siskin	Passes through	Oct 1-7	Oct 22-31	4.4%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Connecticut?: The House Finch is in Connecticut all year. It turns up on about 32% of checklists at its peak (late October) and on 20% in its quietest week (the second week of January).
When do finches leave Connecticut?: The House Finch does not leave Connecticut: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in the second week of January to 32% in late October.
When is the best time to see finches in Connecticut?: The House Finch is reported most often in late October, on about 32% of Connecticut checklists.
Which finches are in Connecticut?: House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.