BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

House Finch Population Analysis

FringillidaeGeneralistsHaemorhous mexicanus

House Finch has surged: up 515% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+515%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 →
3,269RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
59Years 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 3,269 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 515% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

House Finch Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, House Finch is projected to stay roughly flat through 2030, near 6.0 (95% range 2.9–9.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±20.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+9%Change by 2030TrendPercent 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 2030 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 →
±20.3%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 stay roughly flat through 2030, near 6.0 (95% range 2.9–9.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±20.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662030
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 →
20265.92.89.0
20275.92.89.0
20285.92.99.0
20296.02.99.0
20306.02.99.1

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 →
Alabama47×198998
Arizona-36%197089
Arkansas+69%199335
California-35%1970236
Colorado+76%1970124
Connecticut+599%196920
Delaware33×198017
Florida+592%199747
Georgia15×199098
Idaho-14%197147
Illinois30×1989105
Indiana+998%198868
Iowa+291%199337
Kansas+485%198656
Kentucky40×198454
Louisiana+63%199845
Maine+512%198043
Maryland82×197874
Massachusetts13×197531
Michigan37×198784
Minnesota+333%199460
Mississippi+209%199440
Missouri18×199278
Montana+584%198840
Nebraska+872%198162
Nevada+104%197051
New Hampshire+881%198122
New Jersey77×197339
New Mexico+3%197086
New York+673%1968112
North Carolina52×198788
North Dakota-41%199627
Ohio39×198281
Oklahoma+970%198447
Oregon-46%1970101
Pennsylvania68×1973125
Rhode Island+238%19737
South Carolina12×199141
South Dakota+21%199720
Tennessee56×198744
Texas+40%1969193
Utah+638%1970104
Vermont+130%198323
Virginia29×198266
Washington+151%197088
West Virginia+789%198260
Wisconsin42×199090
Wyoming+165%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-38%197090
Great Basin+3%1970218
Northern Rockies+309%1970127
Prairie Potholes13×199176
Boreal Hardwood Transition-4%199174
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain13×197980
Atlantic Northern Forest+397%1980106
Sierra Nevada-66%197026
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau-29%1970207
Badlands and Prairies+99%198235
Shortgrass Prairie+347%1969127
Central Mixed Grass Prairie15×196998
Edwards Plateau-5%197021
Oaks and Prairies24×196954
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie191×1984260
Prairie Hardwood Transition336×1985156
Central Hardwoods243×1985142
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas+879%199662
Mississippi Alluvial Valley+314%199244
Southeastern Coastal Plain378×1986263
Appalachian Mountains114×1971343
Piedmont75×1977162
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast24×1968155
Peninsular Florida+573%200913
Coastal California-19%1970121
Sonoran and Mojave Deserts-36%197087
Sierra Madre Occidental-46%197036
Chihuahuan Desert-29%196956
Tamaulipan Brushlands+802%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 515% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.