When do finches leave Virginia?

The House Finch does not leave Virginia: it is reported all year, from 24% of checklists in early September to 35% in mid February.

When is the best time to see finches in Virginia?

The House Finch is reported most often in mid February, on about 35% of Virginia checklists.

Which finches are in Virginia?

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

3 finch species in Virginia

When Do Finches Arrive in Virginia?

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 Virginia. The House Finch is in Virginia all year. It turns up on about 35% of checklists at its peak (mid February) and on 24% in its quietest week (early September).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekFeb 15-21mid February

Quietest weekSep 1-7early September

Best: mid February. Here all year. Peak: on about 35% of Virginia 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 Virginia, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Feb 15-21	–	35%
Purple Finch	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Nov 1-7	Apr 15-21	7.3%
Pine Siskin	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Nov 8-14	May 1-7	3.7%

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 Virginia 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 Virginia

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Buchanan CountyBest the second week of December · 17 checklists that week, 1,612 in all88%
Martinsville CountyBest the second week of June · 19 checklists that week, 1,842 in all81%
Patrick CountyBest early December · 39 checklists that week, 3,252 in all71%
Charlottesville CountyBest late November · 289 checklists that week, 14,390 in all70%
Radford CountyBest early April · 426 checklists that week, 21,965 in all69%
Winchester CountyBest the second week of May · 130 checklists that week, 4,815 in all67%

All finches in Virginia

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

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	American Goldfinch	Year-round	all year	Aug 8-14	55%
2	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Feb 15-21	35%
3	Purple Finch	Winter visitor	Oct 8-14	Nov 1-7	7.3%
4	Pine Siskin	Winter visitor	Oct 8-14	Nov 8-14	3.7%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Virginia?: The House Finch is in Virginia all year. It turns up on about 35% of checklists at its peak (mid February) and on 24% in its quietest week (early September).
When do finches leave Virginia?: The House Finch does not leave Virginia: it is reported all year, from 24% of checklists in early September to 35% in mid February.
When is the best time to see finches in Virginia?: The House Finch is reported most often in mid February, on about 35% of Virginia checklists.
Which finches are in Virginia?: House Finch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.