WhenToBird

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in North Carolina?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are in North Carolina all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of November, peak in mid February (31% of checklists), and fall back by late March. In the quietest week (the second week of October) they are still on about 3.6% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakFeb 15-21mid February
Fall back byMar 22-31late March
FewestOct 8-14the second week of October

Best: mid February. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of November and fall back by late March. Peak: on about 31% of North Carolina checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Mayuncommon
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Augrare
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Juncos in North Carolina, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Dark-eyed JuncoNov 8-14Nov 8-14Feb 15-21Mar 22-3131%
0%10%20%30%40%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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Ashe CountyBest the second week of January · 94 checklists that week, 6,425 in all77%
  2. Avery CountyBest late February · 111 checklists that week, 8,724 in all73%
  3. Stokes CountyBest the second week of January · 56 checklists that week, 5,660 in all67%
  4. Mitchell CountyBest early September · 55 checklists that week, 2,981 in all66%
  5. Yancey CountyBest early January · 113 checklists that week, 11,714 in all65%
  6. Caswell CountyBest mid November · 25 checklists that week, 2,804 in all65%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in North Carolina?
Dark-eyed Juncos are in North Carolina all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of November, peak in mid February (31% of checklists), and fall back by late March. In the quietest week (the second week of October) they are still on about 3.6% of checklists.
When do juncos leave North Carolina?
Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave North Carolina: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late March, but some are still reported in every week, about 3.6% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in North Carolina?
The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in mid February, on about 31% of North Carolina checklists.