BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

House Finch

FringillidaeGeneralistsHaemorhous mexicanus

House Finch has surged: up 501% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+501%Since 1968TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
3,243RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the House Finch

A streaky finch with rosy-red males, the House Finch spread across the continent from a small eastern introduction and is now common at feeders and around buildings.

Size
5–5.5 in long, about 0.7 oz (13–14 cm, 21 g)
Habitat
A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
Diet
Seeds, buds and fruit, almost entirely plant matter.
Range
Recorded on 3,243 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family
Fringillidae · Generalists
Conservation
Least Concern

Notable House Finch TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

House Finch has surged in surveyed states: up 501% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

House Finch Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, House Finch is projected to rise about 15% by 2029 — from 5.2 in 2024 to a central estimate of 6.0 (95% range 2.9–9.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±28.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+15%Change by 2029TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
6.0Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
2.9–9.195% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±28.4%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, House Finch is projected to rise about 15% by 2029 — from 5.2 in 2024 to a central estimate of 6.0 (95% range 2.9–9.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±28.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20255.92.89.0
20265.92.89.0
20275.92.89.0
20286.02.99.1
20296.02.99.1

Where the House Finch Is Detected

BBS routes recording House Finch, sized by most recent count.

House Finch Population Trend by State

House Finch population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alabama42×198998
Arizona-29%197088
Arkansas+113%199334
California-35%1970236
Colorado+64%1970123
Connecticut+568%196920
Delaware29×198017
Florida+503%199747
Georgia14×199097
Idaho-19%197147
Illinois26×1989105
Indiana+979%198868
Iowa+265%199337
Kansas+440%198656
Kentucky40×198454
Louisiana+95%199843
Maine+568%198043
Maryland73×197874
Massachusetts12×197531
Michigan37×198784
Minnesota+258%199460
Mississippi+251%199438
Missouri19×199277
Montana+486%198839
Nebraska+837%198158
Nevada+92%197051
New Hampshire+681%198122
New Jersey68×197339
New Mexico+3%197086
New York+659%1968112
North Carolina49×198787
North Dakota-30%199626
Ohio40×198281
Oklahoma+731%198445
Oregon-50%1970100
Pennsylvania70×1973125
Rhode Island+237%19737
South Carolina+988%199141
South Dakota-39%199720
Tennessee57×198744
Texas+20%1969191
Utah+609%1970101
Vermont+66%198323
Virginia31×198266
Washington+129%197087
West Virginia+754%198259
Wisconsin44×199090
Wyoming+162%197366

House Finch Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

House Finch population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Northern Pacific Rainforest-50%197090
Great Basin+2%1970216
Northern Rockies+312%1970125
Prairie Potholes12×199175
Boreal Hardwood Transition-42%199174
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain13×197980
Atlantic Northern Forest+311%1980106
Sierra Nevada-71%197026
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau-29%1970205
Badlands and Prairies+151%198235
Shortgrass Prairie+234%1969126
Central Mixed Grass Prairie15×196994
Edwards Plateau-13%197020
Oaks and Prairies19×196954
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie174×1984259
Prairie Hardwood Transition348×1985156
Central Hardwoods253×1985141
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas+686%199659
Mississippi Alluvial Valley+327%199242
Southeastern Coastal Plain350×1986261
Appalachian Mountains108×1971341
Piedmont74×1977162
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast22×1968155
Peninsular Florida+382%200913
Coastal California-23%1970121
Sonoran and Mojave Deserts-36%197087
Sierra Madre Occidental-44%197035
Chihuahuan Desert-32%196956
Tamaulipan Brushlands+818%197019

House Finch Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 501% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.