When do finches leave Idaho?

The House Finch does not leave Idaho: it is reported all year, from 23% of checklists in mid June to 42% in early December.

When is the best time to see finches in Idaho?

The House Finch is reported most often in early December, on about 42% of Idaho checklists.

Which finches are in Idaho?

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

5 finch species in Idaho

When Do Finches Arrive in Idaho?

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 Idaho. The House Finch is in Idaho all year. It turns up on about 42% of checklists at its peak (early December) and on 23% in its quietest week (mid June).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekDec 1-7early December

Quietest weekJun 15-21mid June

Best: early December. Here all year. Peak: on about 42% of Idaho checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprcommon
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Finches in Idaho, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Dec 1-7	–	42%
Pine Siskin	May 15-21	May 15-21	Jul 15-21	Sep 1-7	20%
Red Crossbill	Apr 15-21	May 15-21	Jul 15-21	Dec 15-21	7.7%
Evening Grosbeak	Jan 1-7	Mar 22-31	May 15-21	Nov 15-21	5.9%
Redpoll	Nov 8-14	Nov 8-14	Jan 8-14	Mar 8-14	1.3%

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 Idaho 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 Idaho

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Ada CountyBest early October · 1322 checklists that week, 84,430 in all64%
Bannock CountyBest mid October · 113 checklists that week, 8,210 in all60%
Twin Falls CountyBest mid November · 159 checklists that week, 12,478 in all55%
Nez Perce CountyBest late June · 142 checklists that week, 10,708 in all55%
Bonneville CountyBest late November · 129 checklists that week, 6,998 in all53%
Shoshone CountyBest late December · 27 checklists that week, 2,886 in all52%

All finches in Idaho

10 species are reported regularly: 3 stay all year, 5 are summer visitors, and 2 are winter visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Dec 1-7	42%
2	American Goldfinch	Year-round	all year	Aug 1-7	27%
3	Pine Siskin	All year, most in summer	May 15-21	Jul 15-21	20%
4	Lesser Goldfinch	Year-round	all year	Dec 1-7	19%
5	Cassin's Finch	Summer visitor	Jan 15-21	May 8-14	12%
6	Red Crossbill	Summer visitor	Apr 15-21	Jul 15-21	7.7%
7	Evening Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Jan 1-7	May 15-21	5.9%
8	Cassia Crossbill	Summer visitor	Jun 1-7	Jul 15-21	2.2%
9	Pine Grosbeak	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Feb 1-7	1.3%
10	Redpoll	Winter visitor	Nov 8-14	Jan 8-14	1.3%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Idaho?: The House Finch is in Idaho all year. It turns up on about 42% of checklists at its peak (early December) and on 23% in its quietest week (mid June).
When do finches leave Idaho?: The House Finch does not leave Idaho: it is reported all year, from 23% of checklists in mid June to 42% in early December.
When is the best time to see finches in Idaho?: The House Finch is reported most often in early December, on about 42% of Idaho checklists.
Which finches are in Idaho?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, and Redpoll are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.