When do juncos leave Oregon?

Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Oregon: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of April, but some are still reported in every week, about 15% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see juncos in Oregon?

The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 51% of Oregon checklists.

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Oregon?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are in Oregon all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of December (51% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of April. In the quietest week (late August) they are still on about 15% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildOct 8-14the second week of October

PeakDec 8-14the second week of December

Fall back byApr 8-14the second week of April

FewestAug 22-31late August

Best: the second week of December. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of October and fall back by the second week of April. Peak: on about 51% of Oregon checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maycommon
Juncommon
Julcommon
Auguncommon
Sepcommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Juncos in Oregon, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Dark-eyed Junco	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Dec 8-14	Apr 8-14	51%

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 Oregon 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 Oregon

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak

Josephine CountyBest late November · 404 checklists that week, 20,837 in all73%
Washington CountyBest early March · 2357 checklists that week, 110,376 in all70%
Jackson CountyBest early December · 884 checklists that week, 60,428 in all67%
Columbia CountyBest the second week of December · 443 checklists that week, 27,750 in all67%
Clackamas CountyBest mid February · 1445 checklists that week, 50,929 in all65%
Deschutes CountyBest the second week of December · 1095 checklists that week, 86,260 in all61%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Oregon?: Dark-eyed Juncos are in Oregon all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of December (51% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of April. In the quietest week (late August) they are still on about 15% of checklists.
When do juncos leave Oregon?: Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Oregon: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of April, but some are still reported in every week, about 15% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in Oregon?: The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 51% of Oregon checklists.