South · Atlantic Flyway
Finches in Florida
Finches in Florida come down to 5 species with regular eBird records, led by the House Finch. Together they account for 211,440 of the 32 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.7% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch and Lesser Goldfinch. Finches are the seed specialists of the feeder: goldfinches, House Finches, siskins, grosbeaks, and crossbills. Some are among the most common backyard birds; others are irruptive, appearing in large numbers one winter and vanishing the next.
Finches in Florida: every species, most-reported first
Every finch with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) — 146,050 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) — 60,075 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in December.
3. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) — 2,765 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in February.
4. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) — 2,442 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to February and peaking in February.
5. Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) — 108 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May with a peak in May.
When to see finches in Florida
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, finches are most prominent in July, March and December and least in October and April. 1 of the 5 species is year-round — House Finch — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. American Goldfinch arrives around November and leaves after March (peak December); Pine Siskin arrives around November and leaves after April (peak February); Purple Finch arrives around December and leaves after February (peak February).
Passage migrants. Lesser Goldfinch is reported mainly in May.
Attracting finches to Florida backyards
Nyjer (thistle) in a mesh or tube feeder for the small finches, black-oil sunflower for the larger ones. Keep feeders clean and dry — finches are especially prone to eye disease spread at dirty feeders.
In Florida the finch most likely to turn up is the House Finch. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Finches in Florida: FAQ
How many species of finches are there in Florida?
5 species of finches have regular eBird records in Florida (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.
What is the most common finch in Florida?
The House Finch, with 146,050 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the American Goldfinch with 60,075. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see finches in Florida?
July, March and December, when the combined share of Florida eBird records belonging to finches is highest. Winter visitors such as the American Goldfinch arrive around November.
More birds in Florida
Finches in other states
Finches in Florida: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Florida records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Fringillidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.