WhenToBird

3 finch species in Delaware

When Do Finches Arrive in Delaware?

Adult male House Finch
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 Delaware. The House Finch is in Delaware all year. It turns up on about 34% of checklists at its peak (late October) and on 23% in its quietest week (mid August).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekOct 22-31late October
Quietest weekAug 15-21mid August

Best: late October. Here all year. Peak: on about 34% of Delaware checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Finches in Delaware, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
House Finchall year–Oct 22-31–34%
Purple FinchOct 1-7Oct 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 15-217.5%
Pine SiskinOct 1-7Oct 1-7Nov 1-7Apr 22-306.4%
0%10%20%30%40%House FinchPurple FinchPine SiskinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • 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 Delaware 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 Delaware

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. New Castle CountyBest early November · 1222 checklists that week, 72,140 in all46%
  2. Sussex CountyBest late June · 1749 checklists that week, 91,027 in all33%
  3. Kent CountyBest early April · 621 checklists that week, 36,693 in all21%

All finches in Delaware

4 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 1 are summer visitors, and 2 are winter visitors.

#SpeciesPatternThrough the yearFirst arrivalsPeakPeak %
1American GoldfinchAll year, most in summerApr 8-14Aug 15-2150%
2House FinchYear-roundall yearOct 22-3134%
3Purple FinchWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-77.5%
4Pine SiskinWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-76.4%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Delaware?
The House Finch is in Delaware all year. It turns up on about 34% of checklists at its peak (late October) and on 23% in its quietest week (mid August).
When do finches leave Delaware?
The House Finch does not leave Delaware: it is reported all year, from 23% of checklists in mid August to 34% in late October.
When is the best time to see finches in Delaware?
The House Finch is reported most often in late October, on about 34% of Delaware checklists.
Which finches are in Delaware?
House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.