WhenToBird

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Nebraska?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Nebraska: the first arrive in early October, they are common by mid October, peak in early January (53% of checklists), and most are gone by early April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 1-7early October
Common byOct 15-21mid October
PeakJan 1-7early January
Most gone byApr 1-7early April

Best: early January. First arrivals early October; most are gone by early April. Peak: on about 53% of Nebraska 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. Seprare
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Juncos in Nebraska, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Dark-eyed JuncoOct 1-7Oct 15-21Jan 1-7Apr 1-753%
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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Otoe CountyBest mid December · 52 checklists that week, 3,856 in all89%
  2. Wayne CountyBest late January · 61 checklists that week, 1,960 in all81%
  3. Polk CountyBest early January · 11 checklists that week, 290 in all77%
  4. Richardson CountyBest early December · 11 checklists that week, 788 in all76%
  5. Merrick CountyBest early November · 18 checklists that week, 552 in all76%
  6. Cass CountyBest the second week of January · 78 checklists that week, 4,466 in all76%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Nebraska?
Dark-eyed Juncos are winter birds in Nebraska: the first arrive in early October, they are common by mid October, peak in early January (53% of checklists), and most are gone by early April.
When do juncos leave Nebraska?
Most Dark-eyed Juncos have left Nebraska by early April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid April.
When is the best time to see juncos in Nebraska?
The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in early January, on about 53% of Nebraska checklists.