Baby house finches: from egg to fledgling
A House Finch lays 2–6 eggs. They hatch after 13–14 days, and the young leave the nest 12–19 days later — about 25–33 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 13–14 days
- Time in the nest
- 12–19 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 25–33 days
- Broods per year
- 1–6 attempts per season
- Nest
- Ledges, hanging planters, dense conifers, vines and building nooks
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (13–14 days): 2–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (12–19 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season house finches mainly eat weed seeds (dandelion, thistle), buds and soft fruit.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young house finches are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1–6 attempts per season.
When house finches nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Mar) and latest in British Columbia (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar–Aug |
| Arizona | Mar–Aug |
| Arkansas | Apr–Aug |
| British Columbia | May–Aug |
| California | Mar–Aug |
| Colorado | Apr–Aug |
| Connecticut | Apr–Aug |
| Delaware | Apr–Aug |
| Florida | Mar–Aug |
| Georgia | Mar–Aug |
| Hawaii | Mar–Aug |
| Idaho | Apr–Aug |
| Illinois | Apr–Aug |
| Indiana | Apr–Aug |
| Iowa | Apr–Aug |
| Kansas | Apr–Aug |
| Kentucky | Apr–Aug |
| Louisiana | Mar–Aug |
| Maine | May–Aug |
| Maryland | Apr–Aug |
| Massachusetts | Apr–Aug |
| Michigan | Apr–Aug |
| Minnesota | Apr–Aug |
| Mississippi | Mar–Aug |
| Missouri | Apr–Aug |
| Montana | May–Aug |
| Nebraska | Apr–Aug |
| Nevada | Apr–Aug |
| New Hampshire | May–Aug |
| New Jersey | Apr–Aug |
| New Mexico | Apr–Aug |
| New York | Apr–Aug |
| North Carolina | Mar–Aug |
| North Dakota | May–Aug |
| Nova Scotia | May–Aug |
| Ohio | Apr–Aug |
| Oklahoma | Apr–Aug |
| Ontario | Apr–Aug |
| Oregon | Apr–Aug |
| Pennsylvania | Apr–Aug |
| Quebec | May–Aug |
| Rhode Island | Apr–Aug |
| South Carolina | Mar–Aug |
| South Dakota | Apr–Aug |
| Tennessee | Apr–Aug |
| Texas | Mar–Aug |
| Utah | Apr–Aug |
| Vermont | May–Aug |
| Virginia | Mar–Aug |
| Washington | Apr–Aug |
| West Virginia | Apr–Aug |
| Wisconsin | May–Aug |
| Wyoming | May–Aug |
Found a baby House Finch?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about house finches
Frequently asked
How long do baby house finches stay in the nest?
About 12–19 days after hatching. Eggs take 13–14 days to hatch, so it is roughly 25–33 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a House Finch lay?
2–6 eggs per clutch, with 1–6 attempts per season.
Where do house finches nest?
Ledges, hanging planters, dense conifers, vines and building nooks.
What should I do if I find a baby House Finch on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.