Georgia is a welcoming place for finches, as many Georgians are keen on feeding these charming songbirds. Although Georgia has one more regular finch species than neighboring Florida thanks to the Appalachian Mountains, Georgia finches are still not very diverse – being on par with North Carolina and having five expected finches. No matter, finding finches in Georgia can still be plenty of fun!
Those interested in learning more about the types of finches in Georgia have come to the right place. I’m going to be discussing when, where, and how to find the various finches of Georgia. Let’s learn about Georgia finches!
Table of Contents
Types of Finches in Georgia
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinches are abundant, familiar finches in GA. These yellow birds in Georgia can be found throughout the state. However, American Goldfinches only breed in the northern half of the state. Therefore, don’t expect to see goldfinches in southern Georgia past April.
American Goldfinches are social birds who are rarely seen by themselves. Indeed, they often appear in small groups at bird feeders. Here, they enjoy eating small seeds such as thistle and nyjer. When they’re not hanging out in backyards, look for them in parks, overgrown fields, and other areas that may support substantial concentrations of seeds.
Birders can detect this Georgia finch by listening for their melodic songs. Moreover, their “potato-chip” flight call is quite distinctive.
House Finch
A House Finch is a non-native Georgia finch, but they are nonetheless the most common finches in Georgia, with almost 300,000 eBird observations. House Finches spread to Georgia in the last 100 years after captive populations established themselves along the East Coast.
Seeing a House Finch in Georgia is simple – birders just have to visit an urban area and scan shrubs and bird feeders to locate these GA finches. The male House Finch is rather distinctive with his red breast, but females may be confused with the similar House Sparrow.
House Finches can be found throughout Georgia at any time of year. They make their nests in shrubs, hanging plants, and other areas with dense vegetation that can be found around yard landscapes. These finches in GA love to eat sunflower seeds from bird feeders.
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskins are regular winter visitors in Georgia, being present in increasing numbers as one travels north in the state. Indeed, these finches in Georgia are scarce in southern Georgia, but small concentrations can be found in this part of the Peach State in winter.
Pine Siskins are more tolerant of flying solo compared to the other common finches in Georgia on this list. Yes, those in Georgia are often singles or small groups. However, these Georgia finches can be found in groups several hundred strong when large numbers move south of their typical winter range.
Pine Siskins are true to their names, being found primarily in coniferous forests. That said, they are more willing to forage in other habitats during the nonbreeding winter season, so they may be found in parks and backyards that offer seeds. Some of the best places to find these finches of Georgia include cemeteries and forest preserves.
Purple Finch
Purple Finches are another finch in Georgia that only visits during the winter. Like any native Georgia finch, Purple Finches are more common in Northern Georgia and increasingly scarce in the southern part of the state. Most depart by April as they leave for their breeding grounds in the Northeastern United States.
Purple Finches frequent areas with abundant berries or seeds. Therefore, orchards, cemeteries, parks, and residential areas are great places to look for these finches in Georgia.
Male Purple Finches are rather distinct with their rosy plumage, but females may look quite similar to female House Finches. Therefore, take time to separate Purple Finches from the far more common House Finch.
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills are the most sought-after of the common types of finches in Georgia included on this list, with shy of 600 observations being made in the state even though they are one of only two other finches to breed in Georgia.
The reason for the scarcity of Red Crossbill records is that these finches are confined to the southern reaches of the Appalachians. This remote, rugged area makes it difficult for birders to access locations where these GA finches may be found.
Red Crossbills rarely stray from the Appalachian forests of Northern Georgia, but there are some cases in which they show up in unexpected locations. For instance, the furthest south record is just north of Macon in Jones County. Some good places to try for Red Crossbills include Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and tracts of forest along the Appalachian Trail.
Rare Finches In Georgia
Those who read other articles written about finches in Georgia will probably notice some finch species that were not included above. Indeed, others will try to convince you that other Georgia finch species can regularly be found in the state, but the five finches above are the only ones seen with regularity. Nonetheless, other finch species have shown up in Georgia, so let’s take a look:
• Common Redpoll: There have been only 32 reports of Common Redpolls in Georgia. Most of these sightings were at bird feeders in the Atlanta area.
• Evening Grosbeak: 400+ observations – may wander into the north half of Georgia when food is scarce further north. These events happen once or twice each decade.
• White-winged Crossbill: 11 reports, with most in Northern Georgia. However, a male south of Augusta in Burke County was notable.