When do juncos leave Utah?

Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Utah: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late March, but some are still reported in every week, about 4.3% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see juncos in Utah?

The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 41% of Utah checklists.

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Utah?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are in Utah all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of December (41% of checklists), and fall back by late March. In the quietest week (mid May) they are still on about 4.3% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildOct 8-14the second week of October

PeakDec 8-14the second week of December

Fall back byMar 22-31late March

FewestMay 15-21mid May

Best: the second week of December. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of October and fall back by late March. Peak: on about 41% of Utah checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprcommon
Mayrare
Jununcommon
Juluncommon
Auguncommon
Sepuncommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

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

Juncos in Utah, 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	Mar 22-31	41%

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 Utah 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 Utah

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak

Morgan CountyBest late February · 50 checklists that week, 3,178 in all65%
Wayne CountyBest the second week of March · 43 checklists that week, 4,300 in all63%
Grand CountyBest early December · 288 checklists that week, 18,662 in all59%
Garfield CountyBest mid February · 107 checklists that week, 10,367 in all57%
Duchesne CountyBest mid February · 42 checklists that week, 2,692 in all55%
San Juan CountyBest late November · 70 checklists that week, 6,877 in all54%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Utah?: Dark-eyed Juncos are in Utah all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of December (41% of checklists), and fall back by late March. In the quietest week (mid May) they are still on about 4.3% of checklists.
When do juncos leave Utah?: Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Utah: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late March, but some are still reported in every week, about 4.3% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in Utah?: The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 41% of Utah checklists.