When do juncos leave Nevada?

Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Nevada: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by mid March, but some are still reported in every week, about 4.5% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see juncos in Nevada?

The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 26% of Nevada checklists.

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Nevada?

Photo: Jimmy Dee, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Dark-eyed Juncos are in Nevada all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from mid October, peak in the second week of December (26% of checklists), and fall back by mid March. In the quietest week (late April) they are still on about 4.5% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildOct 15-21mid October

PeakDec 8-14the second week of December

Fall back byMar 15-21mid March

FewestApr 22-30late April

Best: the second week of December. Here all year; numbers build from mid October and fall back by mid March. Peak: on about 26% of Nevada checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Apruncommon
Mayuncommon
Juncommon
Julcommon
Auguncommon
Sepuncommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Juncos in Nevada, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Dark-eyed Junco	Oct 15-21	Oct 15-21	Dec 8-14	Mar 15-21	26%

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 Nevada 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 Nevada

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak

Pershing CountyBest the second week of January · 11 checklists that week, 1,407 in all59%
Storey CountyBest the second week of December · 11 checklists that week, 1,593 in all58%
Douglas CountyBest early March · 127 checklists that week, 7,476 in all49%
White Pine CountyBest late December · 48 checklists that week, 5,465 in all46%
Elko CountyBest late February · 79 checklists that week, 8,844 in all45%
Lander CountyBest mid November · 15 checklists that week, 1,413 in all43%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Nevada?: Dark-eyed Juncos are in Nevada all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from mid October, peak in the second week of December (26% of checklists), and fall back by mid March. In the quietest week (late April) they are still on about 4.5% of checklists.
When do juncos leave Nevada?: Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Nevada: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by mid March, but some are still reported in every week, about 4.5% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in Nevada?: The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 26% of Nevada checklists.