Utah · Year-round resident

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs in Utah

When gray-crowned rosy-finches are present in Utah, when they nest, which native Utah plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–9a yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Gray-crowned Rosy-FinchLeucosticte tephrocotis

Status in Utah: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June–August
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–9a

When to expect gray-crowned rosy-finches in Utah

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs live in Utah all year. Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Semi-arid to arid, with the Wasatch Range rising above the Great Basin and red-rock canyon country in the south.

Nesting in Utah

Across Utah, gray-crowned rosy-finches typically nest from June–August. Plan around that window: May for setup, August for clean-out.

Hot, dry summers.

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as rabbitbrush, prickly pear for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Native Utah plants that attract gray-crowned rosy-finches

Of the regional native plants we track for Utah, these 8 provide food or cover gray-crowned rosy-finches use:

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Common sunflower

Helianthus annuus · Perennial

Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Rocky Mountain bee plant

Cleome serrulata · Perennial

Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Prickly pear

Opuntia engelmannii · Shrub

Fruit and seed plus nest sites for Cactus Wrens.

Feeding gray-crowned rosy-finches through the Utah year

Top foods: Hulled sunflower, Millet (on the ground).
In Utah's winter: Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards.

Full diet breakdown for gray-crowned rosy-finches · Best feeder for gray-crowned rosy-finches

Frequently asked

Are gray-crowned rosy-finches in Utah year-round?

Yes. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs are year-round residents in Utah.

When do gray-crowned rosy-finches nest in Utah?

Nesting in Utah typically runs June–August, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract gray-crowned rosy-finches in Utah?

Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Rocky Mountain bee plant, Rabbitbrush, Prickly pear are native plants in Utah that provide food or cover for gray-crowned rosy-finches.

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs in other regions

Alaska Alberta British Columbia Colorado Idaho Kansas Montana Nebraska Nevada North Dakota Oklahoma South Dakota Wyoming Yukon

Other backyard birds in Utah

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Gambel's Quail California Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Cactus Wren Verdin Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Phainopepla Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Band-tailed Pigeon Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Vermilion Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Cactus Wren Greater Roadrunner Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.