Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is in the New World Sparrows family (Passerellidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 180,309 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Dark-eyed Junco: observations by month (U.S.)

About Dark-eyed Junco

The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is a species of the juncos, a genus of small grayish American sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic. It is a very variable species, much like the related fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca), and its systematics are still not completely untangled.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Dark-eyed Junco by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (New World Sparrows)

Song SparrowMelospiza melodia

White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys

White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis

Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina

Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis

Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus

California TowheeMelozone crissalis

Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ