When do finches leave Washington?

The House Finch does not leave Washington: it is reported all year, from 24% of checklists in late January to 33% in mid April.

When is the best time to see finches in Washington?

The House Finch is reported most often in mid April, on about 33% of Washington checklists.

Which finches are in Washington?

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

5 finch species in Washington

When Do Finches Arrive in Washington?

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 Washington. The House Finch is in Washington all year. It turns up on about 33% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 24% in its quietest week (late January).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekApr 15-21mid April

Quietest weekJan 22-31late January

Best: mid April. Here all year. Peak: on about 33% of Washington 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 Washington, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Apr 15-21	–	33%
Pine Siskin	Mar 8-14	Mar 8-14	Apr 8-14	May 22-31	21%
Purple Finch	Apr 1-7	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	Jul 8-14	18%
Evening Grosbeak	Mar 22-31	Mar 22-31	May 15-21	Oct 15-21	5.3%
Red Crossbill	Feb 22-28	Mar 15-21	Jul 22-31	Nov 1-7	5.2%

House Finch
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Evening Grosbeak

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 Washington 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 Washington

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Benton CountyBest early September · 360 checklists that week, 23,565 in all68%
Walla Walla CountyBest early August · 567 checklists that week, 35,829 in all58%
Franklin CountyBest late June · 123 checklists that week, 7,970 in all54%
Whitman CountyBest the second week of December · 330 checklists that week, 18,652 in all51%
Yakima CountyBest mid December · 289 checklists that week, 28,504 in all50%
Clark CountyBest late April · 1778 checklists that week, 53,250 in all47%

All finches in Washington

8 species are reported regularly: 2 stay all year and 6 are summer visitors.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Apr 15-21	33%
2	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	Apr 15-21	Jul 8-14	32%
3	Pine Siskin	All year, most in spring	Mar 8-14	Apr 8-14	21%
4	Purple Finch	All year, most in spring	Apr 1-7	Apr 22-30	18%
5	Evening Grosbeak	Summer visitor	Mar 22-31	May 15-21	5.3%
6	Red Crossbill	Summer visitor	Feb 22-28	Jul 22-31	5.2%
7	Cassin's Finch	Summer visitor	Apr 8-14	Jun 8-14	3.1%
8	Lesser Goldfinch	Year-round	all year	Sep 1-7	2.9%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Washington?: The House Finch is in Washington all year. It turns up on about 33% of checklists at its peak (mid April) and on 24% in its quietest week (late January).
When do finches leave Washington?: The House Finch does not leave Washington: it is reported all year, from 24% of checklists in late January to 33% in mid April.
When is the best time to see finches in Washington?: The House Finch is reported most often in mid April, on about 33% of Washington checklists.
Which finches are in Washington?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak, and Red Crossbill are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.