WhenToBird

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Arkansas?

Adult male Dark-eyed Junco
Photo: Jimmy Dee, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Arkansas: the first arrive in mid October, they are common by early November, peak in mid February (49% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 15-21mid October
Common byNov 1-7early November
PeakFeb 15-21mid February
Most gone byMar 22-31late March

Best: mid February. First arrivals mid October; most are gone by late March. Peak: on about 49% of Arkansas checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Juncos in Arkansas, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Dark-eyed JuncoOct 15-21Nov 1-7Feb 15-21Mar 22-3149%
0%20%40%60%Dark-eyed JuncoJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Dark-eyed Junco
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Arkansas that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Arkansas

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Grant CountyBest mid November · 19 checklists that week, 1,258 in all94%
  2. Van Buren CountyBest late January · 19 checklists that week, 895 in all81%
  3. Stone CountyBest mid December · 16 checklists that week, 1,336 in all80%
  4. Izard CountyBest mid November · 13 checklists that week, 788 in all79%
  5. Ouachita CountyBest mid February · 12 checklists that week, 297 in all79%
  6. Carroll CountyBest early February · 33 checklists that week, 3,417 in all76%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Arkansas?
Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Arkansas: the first arrive in mid October, they are common by early November, peak in mid February (49% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When do juncos leave Arkansas?
Most Dark-eyed Juncos have left Arkansas by late March, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of April.
When is the best time to see juncos in Arkansas?
The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in mid February, on about 49% of Arkansas checklists.