When do finches leave Pennsylvania?

The House Finch does not leave Pennsylvania: it is reported all year, from 27% of checklists in the second week of September to 35% in the second week of February.

When is the best time to see finches in Pennsylvania?

The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 35% of Pennsylvania checklists.

Which finches are in Pennsylvania?

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

3 finch species in Pennsylvania

When Do Finches Arrive in Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania. The House Finch is in Pennsylvania all year. It turns up on about 35% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 27% in its quietest week (the second week of September).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekFeb 8-14the second week of February

Quietest weekSep 8-14the second week of September

Best: the second week of February. Here all year. Peak: on about 35% of Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Feb 8-14	–	35%
Purple Finch	Sep 8-14	Sep 15-21	Oct 22-31	Jul 8-14	9.3%
Pine Siskin	Oct 1-7	Oct 1-7	Oct 22-31	May 8-14	4.5%

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Lehigh CountyBest mid July · 570 checklists that week, 41,072 in all68%
Juniata CountyBest late November · 163 checklists that week, 9,807 in all67%
Jefferson CountyBest mid December · 71 checklists that week, 5,956 in all60%
Cumberland CountyBest the second week of February · 1083 checklists that week, 50,879 in all53%
Delaware CountyBest early July · 1163 checklists that week, 76,406 in all52%
Chester CountyBest late October · 3258 checklists that week, 144,121 in all52%

All finches in Pennsylvania

4 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 1 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 8-14	63%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Feb 8-14	35%
3	Purple Finch	Winter visitor	Sep 8-14	Oct 22-31	9.3%
4	Pine Siskin	Winter visitor	Oct 1-7	Oct 22-31	4.5%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Pennsylvania?: The House Finch is in Pennsylvania all year. It turns up on about 35% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 27% in its quietest week (the second week of September).
When do finches leave Pennsylvania?: The House Finch does not leave Pennsylvania: it is reported all year, from 27% of checklists in the second week of September to 35% in the second week of February.
When is the best time to see finches in Pennsylvania?: The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 35% of Pennsylvania checklists.
Which finches are in Pennsylvania?: House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.