WhenToBird

Haemorhous purpureus · Fringillidae

Purple Finch: When and Where to See It

Adult Purple Finch
Photo: Dani Alba, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Purple Finch reaches North Dakota first, around mid August, and Nebraska last, around late October.

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.

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0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 2.1% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.3% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.3% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.3% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.3% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.7% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.7% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.2% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.3% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.2% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.4% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.6% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.0% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.5% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.1% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 3.9% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 3.5% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 3.1% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.0% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 2.9% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.0% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.1% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.3% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.2% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.7% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.2% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.8% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.5% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.4% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.2% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.2% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.3% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.4% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.7% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.0% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 2.3% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.7% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.6% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 4.2% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.8% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.1% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.8% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.6% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.5% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.4% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.4% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.2% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
New HampshireSummer visitorJan 15-21May 1-7Nov 8-1411%
MaineSummer visitorFeb 8-14May 1-7Nov 1-716%
OregonSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 22-30Jul 22-3116%
WashingtonAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 22-30Jul 8-1418%
VermontAll year, most in summerApr 8-14Apr 22-30Aug 8-1412%
CaliforniaSummer visitorSep 15-21Jun 1-7Aug 1-78.3%
WisconsinAll year, most in fallOct 1-7Oct 15-21Nov 8-146.7%
District of ColumbiaWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Feb 8-148.1%
DelawareWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 15-217.5%
VirginiaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 15-217.3%
MissouriWinter visitorOct 15-21Feb 8-14Apr 8-1410%
South DakotaWinter visitorOct 15-21Dec 1-7Apr 1-77.9%
KentuckyWinter visitorOct 15-21Feb 15-21Apr 15-216.0%
North CarolinaWinter visitorOct 15-21Dec 8-14Apr 1-76.2%
ArkansasWinter visitorOct 22-31Feb 8-14Apr 1-78.3%
GeorgiaWinter visitorOct 22-31Feb 8-14Mar 22-316.7%
KansasWinter visitorOct 22-31Feb 8-14Apr 1-75.1%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 22-31Dec 15-21Apr 1-76.3%
South CarolinaWinter visitorOct 22-31Feb 1-7Mar 15-214.8%
NebraskaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Apr 15-211.0%
AlabamaWinter visitorNov 1-7Feb 8-14Mar 22-319.0%
MississippiWinter visitorNov 8-14Feb 8-14Mar 15-217.1%
OklahomaWinter visitorNov 8-14Feb 15-21Mar 15-213.9%
LouisianaWinter visitorNov 15-21Feb 8-14Mar 8-145.9%
TexasWinter visitorDec 1-7Feb 8-14Mar 8-141.1%
New YorkWinter visitorJan 15-21Oct 22-31Nov 22-308.0%
ConnecticutWinter visitorMar 22-31Oct 22-31Mar 1-710%
MichiganWinter visitorMar 22-31Oct 15-21Feb 1-75.3%
North DakotaWinter visitorAug 15-21Nov 1-7May 1-76.6%
MassachusettsWinter visitorSep 1-7Oct 22-31Feb 22-285.8%
PennsylvaniaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 22-31Jul 8-149.3%
Rhode IslandWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 22-31Jan 1-75.9%
New JerseyWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 1-7May 1-79.5%
West VirginiaWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 1-7Jun 22-306.9%
IllinoisWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 22-31May 8-144.9%
OhioWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 22-31May 15-212.4%
MarylandWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31May 1-78.8%
IowaWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 1-7May 1-75.4%
IndianaWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 1-7May 1-73.9%
MinnesotaYear-round–Oct 15-21–5.8%

Winter visitor in: Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Michigan

Summer visitor in: New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California