Midwest · Mississippi Flyway
Finches in Michigan
Finches in Michigan come down to 11 species with regular eBird records, led by the American Goldfinch. Together they account for 898,075 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 4.6% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: American Goldfinch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, White-winged Crossbill, American Crossbill, Brambling and Cassin's Finch. 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 Michigan: 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. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) — 495,268 records, 2.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) — 285,275 records, 1.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) — 39,285 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in February.
4. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) — 35,695 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) — 19,130 records, 0.10% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in February.
6. Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) — 8,816 records, 0.04% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to February and peaking in November.
7. Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) — 5,913 records, 0.03% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to February and peaking in January.
8. White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) — 4,648 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to February and peaking in November.
9. American Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) — 3,887 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to February and peaking in November.
10. Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) — 106 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in October with a peak in October.
11. Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) — 52 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in November with a peak in November.
When to see finches in Michigan
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, finches are most prominent in February, January and November and least in May and June. 3 of the 11 species are year-round — American Goldfinch, House Finch and Purple Finch — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. Pine Siskin arrives around October and leaves after April (peak February); Common Redpoll arrives around November and leaves after March (peak February); Evening Grosbeak arrives around October and leaves after February (peak November); Pine Grosbeak arrives around November and leaves after February (peak January); White-winged Crossbill arrives around November and leaves after February (peak November); American Crossbill arrives around October and leaves after February (peak November).
Passage migrants. Brambling is reported mainly in October; Cassin's Finch is reported mainly in November.
Attracting finches to Michigan 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 Michigan the finch most likely to turn up is the American Goldfinch, a year-round resident, followed by the House Finch. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Finches in Michigan: FAQ
How many species of finches are there in Michigan?
11 species of finches have regular eBird records in Michigan (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): American Goldfinch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, White-winged Crossbill, American Crossbill, Brambling and Cassin's Finch.
What is the most common finch in Michigan?
The American Goldfinch, with 495,268 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the House Finch with 285,275. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see finches in Michigan?
February, January and November, when the combined share of Michigan eBird records belonging to finches is highest. Winter visitors such as the Pine Siskin arrive around October.
More birds in Michigan
Finches in other states
Finches in Michigan: 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: Michigan 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.