WhenToBird

Spinus pinus · Fringillidae

When Do Pine Siskins Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult Pine Siskin
Photo: Dominique Bérubé, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Pine Siskins are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in early October, peak in early November (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early May.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 1-7early October
Common byOct 1-7early October
PeakNov 1-7early November
Most gone byMay 1-7early May

Best: early November. First arrivals early October; most are gone by early May. Peak: on about 4.2% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Mayuncommon
  6. Junrare
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Seprare
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Deccommon

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

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.2% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.0% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.6% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.0% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.4% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.4% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.3% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.6% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.8% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.6% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.5% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.6% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 1.6% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.6% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.5% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 1.3% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.9% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.6% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.4% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.3% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.1% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.2% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.9% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 3.3% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.6% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 4.0% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 4.5% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 4.0% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 3.1% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.3% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.5% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.4% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.5% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.1% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Franklin CountyBest early November · 816 checklists that week, 41,382 in all9.0%
  2. Hampshire CountyBest early November · 2989 checklists that week, 162,423 in all6.7%
  3. Bristol CountyBest late October · 1507 checklists that week, 65,262 in all5.7%
  4. Worcester CountyBest early November · 2213 checklists that week, 128,594 in all5.1%
  5. Berkshire CountyBest late October · 2488 checklists that week, 92,890 in all5.0%
  6. Barnstable CountyBest late October · 4895 checklists that week, 215,188 in all4.4%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wildwood Conservation AreaHampshire County, best late March · 21 checklists that week, 623 in all53%
  2. Montague Plains Wildlife Management AreaFranklin County, best mid November · 22 checklists that week, 951 in all43%
  3. Stearns MillpondMiddlesex County, best early January · 52 checklists that week, 128 in all42%
  4. Little PondWorcester County, best late November · 27 checklists that week, 268 in all38%
  5. Clamshell PondWorcester County, best the second week of April · 27 checklists that week, 510 in all30%
  6. Horseneck Beach State Reservation (northwest)Bristol County, best late November · 27 checklists that week, 569 in all28%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Pine Siskin is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (1.9% of those checklists).

0%1%2%3%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 1.7% of 108601 checklists7 am: 2.0% of 186104 checklists8 am: 1.7% of 185905 checklists9 am: 1.4% of 166049 checklists10 am: 1.2% of 150508 checklists11 am: 1.1% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 1.0% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 0.9% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 0.8% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 0.6% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 0.5% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 0.4% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 0.2% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.2%1.0%0.6%1.0%
February1.4%1.4%1.3%1.6%
March1.8%1.6%1.5%1.6%
April1.6%1.6%1.5%1.3%
May0.9%0.6%0.4%0.3%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
September0.1%0.1%0.1%0.2%
October0.9%3.3%3.6%4.0%
November4.5%4.0%3.1%2.3%
December1.5%1.4%1.5%1.1%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives the second week of October, 1 week later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives late September, 1 week earlier than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives early October, in the same week than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early October, in the same week than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Pine Siskins arrive in Massachusetts?
Pine Siskins are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in early October, peak in early November (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early May.
When do Pine Siskins leave Massachusetts?
Most Pine Siskins have left Massachusetts by early May, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Pine Siskin in Massachusetts?
The Pine Siskin is reported most often in early November, on about 4.2% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Pine Siskins seen most often?
By county, Franklin County, Hampshire County, and Bristol County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Pine Siskin (counties with at least 200 checklists).