The Sunshine State offers some of the best birding in the United States. Indeed, Florida is a paradise for birds and birders alike. While almost all groups of birds are more numerous and specious than in other parts of the United States, finches are one of the few exceptions (with hummingbirds being another notable exception).
Now, are there finches in Florida at all? Yes, Florida finch do exist. Unfortunately, the types of finches in Florida are not very diverse, as only four Florida finches are regularly observed. This means that Florida has the lowest finch diversity of any state in United States. Hey, look on the bright side – at least this means it will be easy to learn the finches of Florida!
Continue reading as I discuss the four common types of finches in Florida. I’ll also describe a few uncommon Florida finches. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
4 Finches In Florida
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinches are a common yellow finch in Florida during the winter. Of course, this Florida finch bird isn’t very yellow at this time since they’re in nonbreeding plumage, but birders may get a glimpse of their gorgeous yellow and black breeding plumage as they head north in the spring.
American Goldfinches can be found throughout Florida during the winter – they even show up in the Florida Keys. A good way to attract goldfinches to your yard is by putting up a bird feeder. Like the other finches in FL, they will love eating thistle, nyjer, and black oil sunflower seeds. Plus, you may get some parrots in Florida to visit your yard with this spread!
If you’re struggling to attract American Goldfinches to your yard, try going to a local park that has a variety of seed-bearing trees. Here, these Florida finches may dangle from the branches of these trees as they devour the scrumptious seeds.
House Finch
House Finches are the most widely reported finches in Florida, as they have been reported more than 160,000 times on eBird. Although a Florida House Finch is a common sight now, this has not always been the case. In fact, there would have been no House Finches in Florida 100 years ago.
Originally native to the American Southwest, House Finches were introduced to the East Coast by a series of accidental and intentional releases in the mid-19th century. Now, House Finches have colonized most of Florida, but these backyard small birds in Florida do not seem to be interested in establishing themselves in southern Florida.
House Finches are the only Florida finch that is present year-round in the state. The muggy summer weather is quite different than the dry, arid weather in which these birds evolved, but this finch in Florida has adapted well. The Florida House Finch thrives in human-dominated landscapes, and they’re readily found in parks and neighborhoods. Be sure to discern them from the similar House Sparrow.
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskins are uncommon but regular winter visitors throughout much of Florida.
Pine Siskins are streaked, brown and green finches that may spend winters in Florida. Most are accustomed to breeding in areas where temperatures are more mild, so large numbers avoid wintering in the state.
Pine Siskins are fairly common in the Florida panhandle, however, they are uncommon but regular in much of the remainder of the state. Reports south of Interstate 75 are rare, and the Florida Keys have no records of these wild finches in Florida.
Purple Finch
Purple Finches are an uncommon but annual species of Florida finch. Nearly 2,500 observations have been submitted to eBird that detail these wonderful winter residents.
The winter range of Purple Finches only extends into the north half of Florida, with Palmetto representing the most southerly record. Although finches are typically social, gregarious creatures, most Purple Finches in Florida are solitary since so few winter in the state.
Bird feeders in backyards or nature centers offer birders the best chance of observing these finches of Florida. Here, they will happily munch on sunflower seeds until they head north in March.
Accidental Florida Finches
In addition to the four expected Florida finches described above, the state is home to a few finches that accidentally wander into the state. Let’s take a quick look:
- Evening Grosbeak: 22 records submitted to eBird. These large finches may wander into Florida during irruption years.
- Lesser Goldfinch: Only two records have ever been made in Florida, with one in 2014 and the other in 2023. Therefore, they are extremely rare in Florida, so be sure to distinguish them from American Goldfinches before making a positive ID.