South · Mississippi Flyway
Finches in Tennessee
Finches in Tennessee come down to 6 species with regular eBird records, led by the House Finch. Together they account for 374,617 of the 8.7 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 4.3% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak and American Crossbill. 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 Tennessee: 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) — 186,202 records, 2.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) — 163,642 records, 1.9% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) — 14,353 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in December.
4. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) — 9,138 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
5. Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) — 669 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in December.
6. American Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) — 613 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When to see finches in Tennessee
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, finches are most prominent in February, August and January and least in May and October. 3 of the 6 species are year-round — House Finch, American Goldfinch and American Crossbill — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. Purple Finch arrives around November and leaves after March (peak December); Pine Siskin arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); Evening Grosbeak arrives around November and leaves after April (peak December).
Attracting finches to Tennessee 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 Tennessee the finch most likely to turn up is the House Finch, a year-round resident, followed by the American Goldfinch. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Finches in Tennessee: FAQ
How many species of finches are there in Tennessee?
6 species of finches have regular eBird records in Tennessee (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak and American Crossbill.
What is the most common finch in Tennessee?
The House Finch, with 186,202 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the American Goldfinch with 163,642. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see finches in Tennessee?
February, August and January, when the combined share of Tennessee eBird records belonging to finches is highest. Winter visitors such as the Purple Finch arrive around November.
More birds in Tennessee
Finches in other states
Finches in Tennessee: 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: Tennessee 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.