WhenToBird

American Goldfinch · Spinus tristis

When Do Goldfinches Arrive in Kansas?

Adult American Goldfinch
Photo: Andy Wilson, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

The American Goldfinch is in Kansas all year. It turns up on about 41% of checklists at its peak (mid August) and on 19% in its quietest week (mid March). They are the only regular goldfinches in Kansas.

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekAug 15-21mid August
Quietest weekMar 15-21mid March

Best: mid August. Here all year. Peak: on about 41% of Kansas checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Goldfinches in Kansas, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
American Goldfinchall year–Aug 15-21–41%
0%20%40%60%American GoldfinchJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • American Goldfinch
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 Kansas 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 Kansas

Best counties for American Goldfinch

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Pottawatomie CountyBest the second week of August · 66 checklists that week, 8,405 in all80%
  2. Ottawa CountyBest the second week of January · 11 checklists that week, 523 in all75%
  3. Nemaha CountyBest late August · 11 checklists that week, 349 in all67%
  4. Johnson CountyBest the second week of August · 788 checklists that week, 66,867 in all65%
  5. Cloud CountyBest the second week of January · 15 checklists that week, 586 in all64%
  6. Jackson CountyBest mid November · 29 checklists that week, 2,012 in all62%

Common questions

When do goldfinches arrive in Kansas?
The American Goldfinch is in Kansas all year. It turns up on about 41% of checklists at its peak (mid August) and on 19% in its quietest week (mid March). They are the only regular goldfinches in Kansas.
When do goldfinches leave Kansas?
The American Goldfinch does not leave Kansas: it is reported all year, from 19% of checklists in mid March to 41% in mid August.
When is the best time to see goldfinches in Kansas?
The American Goldfinch is reported most often in mid August, on about 41% of Kansas checklists.