When do juncos leave Vermont?

Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Vermont: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late April, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.9% of checklists at the low.

When is the best time to see juncos in Vermont?

The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 40% of Vermont checklists.

Dark-eyed Junco · Junco hyemalis

When Do Juncos Arrive in Vermont?

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

Dark-eyed Juncos are in Vermont all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of February (40% of checklists), and fall back by late April. In the quietest week (early September) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildOct 8-14the second week of October

PeakFeb 8-14the second week of February

Fall back byApr 22-30late April

FewestSep 1-7early September

Best: the second week of February. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of October and fall back by late April. Peak: on about 40% of Vermont checklists.

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

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

Juncos in Vermont, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
Dark-eyed Junco	Oct 8-14	Oct 8-14	Feb 8-14	Apr 22-30	40%

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 Vermont 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 Vermont

Best counties for Dark-eyed Junco

Share of checklists at the peak

Bennington CountyBest late January · 385 checklists that week, 21,621 in all62%
Rutland CountyBest late January · 1009 checklists that week, 46,909 in all57%
Windsor CountyBest late January · 1493 checklists that week, 73,702 in all57%
Windham CountyBest late January · 740 checklists that week, 39,105 in all53%
Essex CountyBest mid October · 142 checklists that week, 9,416 in all51%
Orange CountyBest mid December · 193 checklists that week, 16,964 in all45%

Common questions

When do juncos arrive in Vermont?: Dark-eyed Juncos are in Vermont all year, but most are here in winter: numbers build from the second week of October, peak in the second week of February (40% of checklists), and fall back by late April. In the quietest week (early September) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.
When do juncos leave Vermont?: Dark-eyed Juncos never fully leave Vermont: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late April, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.9% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see juncos in Vermont?: The Dark-eyed Junco is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 40% of Vermont checklists.