Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
(c) Craig K. Hunt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig K. Hunt · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
BirdsIn Franklin County, Ohio

Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Dark-eyed Junco in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Genus
Junco

Conservation status

Of special interest in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)

Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one at the edge of its range in Ohio, breeding here at low numbers. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.

Near Franklin County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 4 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (19)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (53)
  • Recorded, season not shown (12)
  • Season shown (4)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Dark-eyed Junco by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round, winter
Athens County20 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Belmont CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Butler County30 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Clinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Cuyahoga County350 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Franklin County129 · Season shownYes: winter
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Geauga County30 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round, winter
Greene County27 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Hamilton County90 · Season shownYes: winter
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Lake County50 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Lorain County33 · Season shownYes: winter
Lucas County52 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Medina County96 · Season shownYes: winter
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Monroe CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Montgomery County66 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Paulding CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round, winter
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Richland County24 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Stark County45 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Summit County166 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round, winter
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Van Wert CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Wood County27 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter

Season

When it is recorded

In Franklin County

Early November to mid-April, middle week Jan 18–24

Show over the bars
Recording in Franklin County · records of all species each week, 95,840 in all

Records per week from 129 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 110 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Dark-eyed Junco in Franklin County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Dark-eyed JuncoYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10105417
Jan 11–1763236
Jan 18–2443236
Jan 25–3175236
Feb 1–744244
Feb 8–1464360
Feb 15–21106270
Feb 22–2852401
Mar 1–773483
Mar 8–1411567
Mar 15–2154561
Mar 22–2822750
Mar 29 – Apr 4111,310
Apr 5–11541,456
Apr 12–18532,408
Apr 19–25532,525
Apr 26 – May 2002,812
May 3–9002,785
May 10–16002,381
May 17–23002,651
May 24–30002,735
May 31 – Jun 6002,861
Jun 7–13002,986
Jun 14–20002,980
Jun 21–27003,051
Jun 28 – Jul 4003,121
Jul 5–11003,399
Jul 12–18003,754
Jul 19–25003,305
Jul 26 – Aug 1003,347
Aug 2–8003,803
Aug 9–15003,507
Aug 16–22003,137
Aug 23–29003,249
Aug 30 – Sep 5003,487
Sep 6–12003,215
Sep 13–19003,368
Sep 20–26002,586
Sep 27 – Oct 3003,624
Oct 4–10002,701
Oct 11–17002,107
Oct 18–24431,201
Oct 25–31111,123
Nov 1–753789
Nov 8–1433798
Nov 15–2133468
Nov 22–2843522
Nov 29 – Dec 522225
Dec 6–1274234
Dec 13–1983392
Dec 20–2621254
Dec 27 – Jan 273422

In Ohio

Late October to late April, middle week Jan 18–24

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 2,303 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 1,117 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Dark-eyed Junco in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Dark-eyed JuncoYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10117106,211
Jan 11–1711595,146
Jan 18–2411394,645
Jan 25–3184104,698
Feb 1–77796,023
Feb 8–1479105,888
Feb 15–2196105,436
Feb 22–2851106,846
Mar 1–74498,321
Mar 8–1461910,384
Mar 15–2176912,620
Mar 22–2863913,949
Mar 29 – Apr 472819,661
Apr 5–1199926,860
Apr 12–18831039,925
Apr 19–2534741,623
Apr 26 – May 226756,391
May 3–912852,952
May 10–167553,785
May 17–2310557,698
May 24–308554,651
May 31 – Jun 610553,099
Jun 7–138653,700
Jun 14–2011656,625
Jun 21–273355,361
Jun 28 – Jul 49758,477
Jul 5–117661,336
Jul 12–184264,722
Jul 19–255469,753
Jul 26 – Aug 10059,416
Aug 2–85359,712
Aug 9–150055,994
Aug 16–222154,328
Aug 23–292251,772
Aug 30 – Sep 50057,167
Sep 6–121159,075
Sep 13–192254,543
Sep 20–262245,860
Sep 27 – Oct 32243,180
Oct 4–1011637,841
Oct 11–1731730,824
Oct 18–2458921,156
Oct 25–3156919,021
Nov 1–766914,172
Nov 8–1470912,621
Nov 15–216487,965
Nov 22–287198,136
Nov 29 – Dec 573106,083
Dec 6–126996,004
Dec 13–1984105,423
Dec 20–269295,661
Dec 27 – Jan 215898,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus254 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • American Robin Turdus migratorius129 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus122 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis86 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia81 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed65%49%
Forest28%31%
Farmland5%11%
Wetland2%5%
Open water0.6%3%
Grassland and shrub0.3%0.9%

From 1,042 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Finer identifications

Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:

  • Junco hyemalis hyemalisBoreal Slate-colored Juncosubspecies

A few other records were identified to other subspecies.

Every one of these records counts toward the Dark-eyed Junco's season above.

Why some records go further than species

Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.

Names: Catalogue of Life.

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Franklin County result

129 records from 1 dataset.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.