BirdBrain Academy

Sparrows · Passerellidae

Dark-eyed Junco sounds

Junco hyemalis

The Dark-eyed Junco is a small, grayish New World sparrow, common across temperate North America and summering far into the Arctic.

Learn bird sounds freeMore Dark-eyed Junco recordings
Dark-eyed Junco
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Listen to the Dark-eyed Junco

Each recording below is a short excerpt with its spectrogram, a picture of the sound. Time runs left to right and higher pitches sit higher up. Play each one, then look for the same shape in the next. Different recordings of the same bird help you learn the bird, not one clip.

Call · recording 1 Spectrogram of a Dark-eyed Junco call: time runs left to right and pitch rises upward

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara, California, 2012-09-09. XC110975 on xeno-canto, CC BY-SA 3.0. Five-second excerpt.

Call · recording 2 Spectrogram of a Dark-eyed Junco call: time runs left to right and pitch rises upward

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara, California, 2012-09-09. XC109855 on xeno-canto, CC BY-SA 3.0. Five-second excerpt.

Call · recording 3 Spectrogram of a Dark-eyed Junco call: time runs left to right and pitch rises upward

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma, Blue Bell Campground, Custer State Park, South Dakota, 2012-06-19. XC104512 on xeno-canto, CC BY-SA 3.0. Five-second excerpt.

What to listen for

Its song is a trill similar to the chipping sparrow's, while its calls include tick sounds and very high-pitched tinkling chips.

What it looks like

Adults generally have gray heads, necks, and breasts, gray or brown backs and wings, and a white belly. White outer tail feathers flash in flight and while hopping, and the bill is usually pale pinkish.

Where to find it

The Dark-eyed Junco breeds in coniferous or mixed forest areas throughout North America. It forages on the ground, often in winter flocks, and is familiar around towns and feeders in winter.

BirdBrain regions that include this bird

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Eastern Canada
  • Eastern Europe
  • Florida
  • Great Lakes
  • Mexico
  • Mid-Atlantic
  • New England
  • Northwest
  • Plains
  • Rocky Mountains
  • Southeast
  • Southwest
  • Texas
  • Western Canada
  • Western Europe

Did you know?

  • A flock of Dark-eyed Juncos has been known as a blizzard.
  • It is known among bird song practitioners as an excellent bird for learning bird language.

Learn the Dark-eyed Junco by ear

BirdBrain Academy teaches bird sounds with side-by-side listening and quizzes that use different recordings, so you learn the bird rather than one clip. Start with six free lessons, no signup needed. On your phone, Sound ID can name the birds singing around you.

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Related birds

Species notes are adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and checked for BirdBrain. Recordings come from xeno-canto under the licenses shown with each one. Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Identification guidance is educational; birds vary, so confirm unusual sightings with local experts or eBird.