When do finches leave Minnesota?

The House Finch does not leave Minnesota: it is reported all year, from 14% of checklists in late January to 22% in mid July.

When is the best time to see finches in Minnesota?

The House Finch is reported most often in mid July, on about 22% of Minnesota checklists.

Which finches are in Minnesota?

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

6 finch species in Minnesota

When Do Finches Arrive in Minnesota?

Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

House Finches, Redpolls, and Pine Siskins are the finches you are most likely to see in Minnesota. The House Finch is in Minnesota all year. It turns up on about 22% of checklists at its peak (mid July) and on 14% in its quietest week (late January).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekJul 15-21mid July

Quietest weekJan 22-31late January

Best: mid July. Here all year. Peak: on about 22% of Minnesota checklists.

Jancommon
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Sepcommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Finches in Minnesota, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Jul 15-21	–	22%
Redpoll	Oct 22-31	Nov 1-7	Feb 8-14	Mar 22-31	16%
Pine Siskin	Aug 22-31	Sep 22-30	Feb 22-28	May 22-31	9.2%
Purple Finch	all year	–	Oct 15-21	–	5.8%
Evening Grosbeak	Dec 1-7	Dec 1-7	Feb 1-7	Mar 1-7	3.0%
Red Crossbill	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Nov 1-7	Mar 15-21	1.2%

House Finch
Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch

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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Le Sueur CountyBest mid January · 66 checklists that week, 5,034 in all68%
Stevens CountyBest early January · 20 checklists that week, 2,839 in all62%
Wabasha CountyBest the second week of August · 102 checklists that week, 6,548 in all50%
Benton CountyBest early December · 98 checklists that week, 6,111 in all48%
Todd CountyBest the second week of June · 94 checklists that week, 4,802 in all44%
Lyon CountyBest early January · 43 checklists that week, 4,283 in all41%

All finches in Minnesota

9 species are reported regularly: 2 stay all year, 1 are summer visitors, and 6 are winter visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	May 1-7	Aug 8-14	60%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Jul 15-21	22%
3	Redpoll	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Feb 8-14	16%
4	Pine Siskin	Winter visitor	Aug 22-31	Feb 22-28	9.2%
5	Pine Grosbeak	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Feb 8-14	6.2%
6	Purple Finch	Year-round	all year	Oct 15-21	5.8%
7	Evening Grosbeak	Winter visitor	Dec 1-7	Feb 1-7	3.0%
8	White-winged Crossbill	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Feb 15-21	2.4%
9	Red Crossbill	Winter visitor	Oct 8-14	Nov 1-7	1.2%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Minnesota?: The House Finch is in Minnesota all year. It turns up on about 22% of checklists at its peak (mid July) and on 14% in its quietest week (late January).
When do finches leave Minnesota?: The House Finch does not leave Minnesota: it is reported all year, from 14% of checklists in late January to 22% in mid July.
When is the best time to see finches in Minnesota?: The House Finch is reported most often in mid July, on about 22% of Minnesota checklists.
Which finches are in Minnesota?: House Finch, Redpoll, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak, and Red Crossbill are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.