When do finches leave Nebraska?

The House Finch does not leave Nebraska: it is reported all year, from 21% of checklists in mid September to 29% in mid February.

When is the best time to see finches in Nebraska?

The House Finch is reported most often in mid February, on about 29% of Nebraska checklists.

Which finches are in Nebraska?

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

4 finch species in Nebraska

When Do Finches Arrive in Nebraska?

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 Nebraska. The House Finch is in Nebraska all year. It turns up on about 29% of checklists at its peak (mid February) and on 21% in its quietest week (mid September).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekFeb 15-21mid February

Quietest weekSep 15-21mid September

Best: mid February. Here all year. Peak: on about 29% of Nebraska checklists.

Janpeak season
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 Nebraska, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Feb 15-21	–	29%
Pine Siskin	Sep 1-7	Sep 15-21	Feb 1-7	Jun 1-7	5.1%
Red Crossbill	Apr 22-30	Apr 22-30	Jun 8-14	Feb 1-7	2.4%
Purple Finch	Oct 22-31	Oct 22-31	Nov 8-14	Apr 15-21	1.0%

House Finch
Pine Siskin
Red Crossbill
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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Otoe CountyBest late July · 79 checklists that week, 3,856 in all72%
Dodge CountyBest late June · 163 checklists that week, 8,625 in all64%
York CountyBest mid November · 26 checklists that week, 1,922 in all64%
Polk CountyBest early January · 11 checklists that week, 290 in all62%
Wayne CountyBest mid November · 12 checklists that week, 1,960 in all60%
Chase CountyBest the second week of February · 11 checklists that week, 519 in all58%

All finches in Nebraska

6 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 3 are summer visitors, and 2 are winter visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	Jun 22-30	Aug 15-21	50%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Feb 15-21	29%
3	Pine Siskin	Winter visitor	Sep 1-7	Feb 1-7	5.1%
4	Red Crossbill	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Jun 8-14	2.4%
5	Lesser Goldfinch	Summer visitor	Jun 1-7	Aug 22-31	1.1%
6	Purple Finch	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Nov 8-14	1.0%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Nebraska?: The House Finch is in Nebraska all year. It turns up on about 29% of checklists at its peak (mid February) and on 21% in its quietest week (mid September).
When do finches leave Nebraska?: The House Finch does not leave Nebraska: it is reported all year, from 21% of checklists in mid September to 29% in mid February.
When is the best time to see finches in Nebraska?: The House Finch is reported most often in mid February, on about 29% of Nebraska checklists.
Which finches are in Nebraska?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill, and Purple Finch are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.