Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis

Introduction

Dark-eyed Juncos are sometimes known as 'snowbirds' in the United States, because for most Americans they are winter visitors. This is a rare visitor to Britain & Ireland.

Resident Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the eastern United States, they appear in all but the most northern states only in the winter, and then retreat each spring.

Key Stats

Status

Very rare

Weight

20g

Seasonality

<1%

BTO Records

328 records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

% expansion

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Kent, 1960 (Co. Clare, 1905)

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.1%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution for Dark-eyed Junco

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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This species has been too rarely reported to BirdTrack during 2011–22 to properly assess seasonality.

Movement

Information about Dark-eyed Junco movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Dark-eyed Junco, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Dark-eyed Junco

Classification and Codes

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Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
Scientific name: Junco hyemalis
Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

BTO 2-letter code: JU
BTO 5-letter code: DAEJU
Euring code number: 18420

Alternate species names

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Catalan: jonc fosc
Czech: strnadec zimní
Danish: Mørkøjet Junco
Dutch: Grijze Junco
Estonian: välusidrik
Finnish: tummajunkko
French: Junco ardoisé

German: Winterammer
Hungarian: füstös junkó
Icelandic: Vetrartittlingur
Irish: Luachairín Shúildubh
Italian: Junco occhiscuri
Latvian: tumšacu junko
Lithuanian: pilkasis junkas
Norwegian: Vinterjunko

Polish: junko (zwyczajny)
Portuguese: junco
Slovak: strnádlik sivý
Slovenian: sivi junko
Spanish: Junco pizarroso
Swedish: mörkögd junco
Welsh: Jwnco Penddu

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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