WhenToBird

3 finch species in Missouri

When Do Finches Arrive in Missouri?

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 Missouri. The House Finch is in Missouri all year. It turns up on about 39% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 25% in its quietest week (mid September).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekFeb 8-14the second week of February
Quietest weekSep 15-21mid September

Best: the second week of February. Here all year. Peak: on about 39% of Missouri 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. Sepcommon
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Finches in Missouri, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
House Finchall year–Feb 8-14–39%
Purple FinchOct 15-21Nov 1-7Feb 8-14Apr 8-1410%
Pine SiskinOct 8-14Oct 8-14Nov 1-7May 8-144.2%
0%20%40%60%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 Missouri 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 Missouri

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Randolph CountyBest early August · 14 checklists that week, 838 in all80%
  2. Cass CountyBest mid July · 130 checklists that week, 7,791 in all73%
  3. Ripley CountyBest early May · 41 checklists that week, 1,058 in all65%
  4. Cape Girardeau CountyBest early December · 157 checklists that week, 12,037 in all64%
  5. St. Louis CountyBest early July · 1462 checklists that week, 97,156 in all62%
  6. Cooper CountyBest early February · 40 checklists that week, 2,587 in all61%

All finches in Missouri

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

#SpeciesPatternThrough the yearFirst arrivalsPeakPeak %
1American GoldfinchYear-roundall yearAug 22-3149%
2House FinchYear-roundall yearFeb 8-1439%
3Purple FinchWinter visitorOct 15-21Feb 8-1410%
4Pine SiskinWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-74.2%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Missouri?
The House Finch is in Missouri all year. It turns up on about 39% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 25% in its quietest week (mid September).
When do finches leave Missouri?
The House Finch does not leave Missouri: it is reported all year, from 25% of checklists in mid September to 39% in the second week of February.
When is the best time to see finches in Missouri?
The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 39% of Missouri checklists.
Which finches are in Missouri?
House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.