When do finches leave South Dakota?

The House Finch does not leave South Dakota: it is reported all year, from 11% of checklists in mid June to 24% in the second week of February.

When is the best time to see finches in South Dakota?

The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 24% of South Dakota checklists.

Which finches are in South Dakota?

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

5 finch species in South Dakota

When Do Finches Arrive in South Dakota?

Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

House Finches, Pine Siskins, and Purple Finches are the finches you are most likely to see in South Dakota. The House Finch is in South Dakota all year. It turns up on about 24% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 11% in its quietest week (mid June).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekFeb 8-14the second week of February

Quietest weekJun 15-21mid June

Best: the second week of February. Here all year. Peak: on about 24% of South Dakota checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Finches in South Dakota, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Feb 8-14	–	24%
Pine Siskin	Dec 15-21	Dec 15-21	Feb 15-21	Mar 15-21	11%
Purple Finch	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-31	Dec 1-7	Apr 1-7	7.9%
Red Crossbill	Apr 22-30	May 8-14	Jul 1-7	Jan 1-7	6.8%
Redpoll	Nov 1-7	Nov 1-7	Mar 1-7	Apr 8-14	3.7%

House Finch
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill

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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Roberts CountyBest early December · 34 checklists that week, 3,523 in all73%
Douglas CountyBest the second week of June · 21 checklists that week, 3,141 in all67%
Clay CountyBest the second week of December · 10 checklists that week, 2,633 in all67%
Davison CountyBest early December · 10 checklists that week, 606 in all61%
Brule CountyBest late January · 14 checklists that week, 495 in all60%
Edmunds CountyBest mid January · 13 checklists that week, 466 in all48%

All finches in South Dakota

7 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 2 are summer visitors, 3 are winter visitors, and 1 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	May 1-7	Aug 8-14	35%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Feb 8-14	24%
3	Pine Siskin	All year, most in winter	Dec 15-21	Feb 15-21	11%
4	Purple Finch	Winter visitor	Oct 15-21	Dec 1-7	7.9%
5	Red Crossbill	Summer visitor	Apr 22-30	Jul 1-7	6.8%
6	Redpoll	Winter visitor	Nov 1-7	Mar 1-7	3.7%
7	White-winged Crossbill	Passes through	Dec 1-7	Dec 15-21	1.3%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in South Dakota?: The House Finch is in South Dakota all year. It turns up on about 24% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 11% in its quietest week (mid June).
When do finches leave South Dakota?: The House Finch does not leave South Dakota: it is reported all year, from 11% of checklists in mid June to 24% in the second week of February.
When is the best time to see finches in South Dakota?: The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 24% of South Dakota checklists.
Which finches are in South Dakota?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, and Redpoll are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.