How to find winter finches

Today we’re diving into something really exciting for the winter birding season: the Winter Finch Forecast for 2025-26.

If you’ve ever wondered which northern finches might show up in your backyard this winter, where they might turn up, and how you can find them — you’re in the right place.

First, what is the Winter Finch Forecast? The Winter Finch Forecast is put together each year by the Finch Research Network, and it uses clues like cone and berry crops in the boreal forests and other ecological signals to predict finch movements southwards like the Spruce Budworm outbreaks during the summer months. One of which is currently occurring in Eastern North America, possibly the largest in decades for some areas, giving certain species a nice food source for the summer and to feed their young, Essentially, when the food supply up north is weak, many of these finches go on the move — and that gives us a chance to spot them in places they don’t always visit.

This movement of birds is called an irruption and it is expected that this winter might be comparable to the last mega-irruption like seen in 2020-2021.

So here is a quick rundown of what the 2025-26 forecast is telling us:

• The boreal forest from central Quebec westward to Manitoba has mostly very poor cone and seed crops this year. Because of that, many finch species are likely to move southward in search of food. 
• Some species that might not normally show up in large numbers outside the boreal may be seen much further south.

Let’s go through a handful of the finch species to watch out for this winter — how you might find them, what they like to eat, and where they tend to show up.

Pine Siskin

• The forecast says there could be a moderate to possibly strong flight of Pine Siskins this year. Why? Because many of the cone‐ and seed‐crops such as white spruce and white birch in their normal boreal range are weak. 
• Where to look: They often show up at feeders offering Nyjer (thistle) seed or black oil sunflower seed. So Tube or sock feeders are something you want to have offered in your yard to help encourage them to show up. Also keep an eye out on area with small-comes trees like birch and cedar.
• When/where: Expect them to move into areas south of the boreal forest, especially where conifer seed crops are low. If you live in a region like the Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic or the Northeast, keep an eye out for these little finches.

Evening Grosbeak

Next let’s go over the Evening Grosbeak, probably the species people are the most excited to possibly see at their feeders.

• The forecast for Evening Grosbeaks suggests a moderate flight southward this fall. Some flocks may winter further south than usual, especially in areas like southern Quebec, Ontario, New England, New York, maybe even Pennsylvania or higher elevations of the Mid-Atlantic. With the combination of a nice spruce budworm outbreak possibly leading to a higher survival rate of this years young and a less than average to poor winter cone and berry crop, this can lead to a possible nice Evening Grosbeak movement.
• Where to find them: At feeders offering black oil sunflower seed, or near ash/maple trees or mountain ash berry trees (since berry crops were weaker this year, they may search feeders more). Make sure to have a platform feeder or large covered feeder for them as they prefer to feed from these style feeders. Look for places that have fruit trees still containing fruit such as cherry and mountain ash as these are their preferred berry crops.

Pine Grosbeak

• The forecast for Pine Grosbeaks suggests a light to moderate flight southward this fall. The forecast is due to the poor availability of mountain ash and other berry-producing trees. Pine Grosbeaks are expected to range southward in search of food down into parts of southern Ontario, southern Quebec and into the northern parts of New England and the maritime provinces. There seems to be some reports in parts of New York already.
• Where to find them: Pine Grosbeaks may end up visiting backyard feeders where they prefer black oil sunflower seeds if they can’t find other food sources. But mostly keep an eye out for ornamental fruiting trees such as European Mountain-ash berries and crabapples, as they are likely to attract them.

Redpoll

Redpolls are another irruptive finch species that may be showing up in numbers this year.

• For Redpolls, the forecast indicates that because many of their preferred seed‐crops like alder, birch, spruce and tamarack are average or poor in parts of the eastern Arctic and boreal forests, there may be increased movement southwards in the Great Lakes east and through Northern New York, the New England area and Canada’s Maritime provinces.
• How to spot them: They often show up in weedy fields, prairies, birch catkin stands, and at feeders offering Nyjer seed or black oil sunflower seed.
• Where/when: The transition zones — for example, the upper Midwestern states, the Adirondacks, and other boreal fringe zones are good. Early winter storms may also trigger movement, so after weather events is a good time to be alert.

Red Crossbill & White‑winged Crossbill

Next let’s go over these 2 crossbill species.

• These are a bit different: rather than huge southward flights, the 2025-26 forecast suggests that many will remain in the boreal unless they hit patches with very poor cone crops — at which point they may drift south. For example, for White-winged Crossbill the good white spruce crop may keep many in the north.
• How to find them: In conifer forests with spruce, tamarack or white pine cone production. At feeders they might show if regular seed crops are scarce, but they’re more easily found in forested areas. 
• White-winged Crossbills tend to either head east or west across the boreal forests depending on food availability. It is being reported that it seems this year they are headed westward towards the larger cone crops found across Alaska through western Manitoba and slightly southward. It is a possibility that some will remain in the eastern portions and may show up in New England of the Great Lakes region.
• Red Crossbills are likely to be seen east of the great lakes in areas with a good crop of mixed conifers, especially pine. If this crop is used up, they may then be seen moving southward along the coast.
• When/where: Northern forests, especially boreal spruce/tamarack zones. But if you’re in the Adirondacks, Maine, or high elevation forests in the Appalachians, it’s still worth keeping an eye out.
• Tip: Listen for their flight‐calls — crossbills often announce themselves by sound. Also: As they feed on cones, they may be high in trees, so look up. Several Red Crossbills have shown up locally to me and many birders have encountered them, but only because of their calls, none have actually seen them yet!

Purple Finch

The Purple finches can be one of the more regular winter finches seen at many feeders in winter.

• The forecast notes that for Purple Finches, many should migrate south out of Canada this winter, with a likely moderate flight into the U.S. Some individuals may remain farther north. There are eBird reports already showing a nice Purple Finch movement southward into the United States from the eastern Great Plains to North Carolina’s coast. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see them go as far as some southern states.
• How to spot them: At feeders with black oil sunflower seed. The males have a raspberry-red wash and streaked breast, while females are brown-streaked with a heavy face pattern. 
• When/where: In backyard feeders in the U.S. Northeast, and wherever there’s a southward drip of finches. If you’re in southern Ontario, the New England states, keep an eye out, theres a good chance that you will be seeing many this year.

One more thing to think about is that some of these species have different call types, this characteristic is currently being heavily researched by the Finch Research Network. If you hear species like the Evening Grosbeak or Red Crossbill, try to get a recording of them. You can even use the Merlin app to get a nice recording. Once recorded you can use various websites to see what call type you have and then mark it accordingly on your eBird checklist!

Here are some tips to boost your odds of seeing these northern visitors:

• Keep feeders stocked: Black oil sunflower seed and Nyjer seeds are especially helpful to have out for many of these boreal birds.
• Provide varied feeding stations: Tube feeders, sock feeders, small open trays– finches often prefer smaller seeds or scattered seed near ground or weedy patches.
• Check early mornings and after storms: Weather events can trigger movements, so keep your eyes peeled after a freeze, snowstorm or when cone crops are depleted up north which may cause them to move further southward in search of food.
• Expand your search beyond the typical yard: Visit woodland edges, weedy fields, birch stands, or conifer plantations — places where finches may land as they migrate.
• Use eBird and local birding reports: Look on eBird to see first sightings and movement patterns, so you can see where irruptions might be happening. You can also search through eBird to find places that they seem to have favored in the past, this can be helpful to map out places to be checking for these finches as winter progresses .
• Keep your eyes open year-round: Some finches trickle in even before big irruption years — so even if the forecast cautions “moderate”, you might still get a surprise visitor. These are predictions and you never know what will happen for certain

Why do we care? Because these finch movements are data telling us about the health of boreal forest ecosystems — about seed crop failures, insect outbreaks, and climate change impacts. The movement of these birds into our region is a signal of possible ecological shifts. Finch irruptions do occur naturally in cycles; there is usually a good southward movement of them based on the regular cycles of their preferred cone crops every so many years.

And for birders, it’s a thrilling chance to see these typically boreal species and learn more about species that normally aren’t seen in our area.

So this winter, get ready. The forecast suggests we could be in for one of the stronger finch movement years. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just enjoy putting out seed and watching the birds, keep your feeders stocked, keep your eyes and ears alert and your binoculars ready.

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