Northeast · Atlantic Flyway
Finches in Rhode Island
Finches in Rhode Island come down to 7 species with regular eBird records, led by the American Goldfinch. Together they account for 81,521 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 3.6% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Crossbill, Common Redpoll and Evening Grosbeak. 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 Rhode Island: 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) — 45,797 records, 2.0% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) — 31,043 records, 1.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) — 2,130 records, 0.09% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, October, November and December with a peak in November.
4. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) — 1,501 records, 0.07% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in October and November with a peak in November.
5. American Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) — 579 records, 0.03% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in February.
6. Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) — 277 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
7. Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) — 194 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to January and peaking in November.
When to see finches in Rhode Island
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, finches are most prominent in November, April and July and least in January and March. 2 of the 7 species are year-round — American Goldfinch and House Finch — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. American Crossbill arrives around November and leaves after April (peak February); Common Redpoll arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Evening Grosbeak arrives around November and leaves after January (peak November).
Passage migrants. Purple Finch is reported mainly in April, October, November and December; Pine Siskin is reported mainly in October and November.
Attracting finches to Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: FAQ
How many species of finches are there in Rhode Island?
7 species of finches have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Crossbill, Common Redpoll and Evening Grosbeak.
What is the most common finch in Rhode Island?
The American Goldfinch, with 45,797 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the House Finch with 31,043. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see finches in Rhode Island?
November, April and July, when the combined share of Rhode Island eBird records belonging to finches is highest. Winter visitors such as the American Crossbill arrive around November.
More birds in Rhode Island
Finches in other states
Finches in Rhode Island: 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: Rhode Island 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.