When do juncos leave South Dakota?

Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave South Dakota: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of April, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.8% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see juncos in South Dakota?

The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in late October, on about 38% of South Dakota checklists.

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in South Dakota?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are in South Dakota all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in late October (38% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of April. In the quietest week (the second week of May) they are still on about 2.8% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildOct 8-14the second week of October

PeakOct 22-31late October

Fall back byApr 8-14the second week of April

FewestMay 8-14the second week of May

Best: late October. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of October and fall back by the second week of April. Peak: on about 38% of South Dakota checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Mayrare
Jununcommon
Juluncommon
Augrare
Sepuncommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Juncos in South Dakota, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Dark-eyed Junco	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Oct 22-31	Apr 8-14	38%

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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak

Sanborn CountyBest the second week of January · 12 checklists that week, 748 in all93%
Clay CountyBest the second week of December · 10 checklists that week, 2,633 in all83%
Roberts CountyBest mid January · 46 checklists that week, 3,523 in all78%
Lincoln CountyBest early November · 31 checklists that week, 2,721 in all66%
Codington CountyBest mid October · 10 checklists that week, 1,303 in all65%
Douglas CountyBest early January · 47 checklists that week, 3,141 in all62%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in South Dakota?: Dark-eyed Juncos are in South Dakota all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in late October (38% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of April. In the quietest week (the second week of May) they are still on about 2.8% of checklists.
When do juncos leave South Dakota?: Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave South Dakota: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of April, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.8% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in South Dakota?: The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in late October, on about 38% of South Dakota checklists.