WhenToBird

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Indiana?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Indiana: the first arrive in early October, they are common by late October, peak in early December (46% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 1-7early October
Common byOct 22-31late October
PeakDec 1-7early December
Most gone byApr 8-14the second week of April

Best: early December. First arrivals early October; most are gone by the second week of April. Peak: on about 46% of Indiana checklists.

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

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

Juncos in Indiana, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Dark-eyed JuncoOct 1-7Oct 22-31Dec 1-7Apr 8-1446%
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 Indiana 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 Indiana

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Brown CountyBest mid January · 63 checklists that week, 5,917 in all83%
  2. Blackford CountyBest mid January · 26 checklists that week, 962 in all83%
  3. Kosciusko CountyBest late January · 124 checklists that week, 8,359 in all79%
  4. Scott CountyBest early December · 15 checklists that week, 798 in all77%
  5. Grant CountyBest mid January · 97 checklists that week, 5,262 in all76%
  6. DeKalb CountyBest early December · 24 checklists that week, 2,466 in all76%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Indiana?
Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Indiana: the first arrive in early October, they are common by late October, peak in early December (46% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.
When do juncos leave Indiana?
Most Dark-eyed Juncos have left Indiana by the second week of April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late April.
When is the best time to see juncos in Indiana?
The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in early December, on about 46% of Indiana checklists.