Bird
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
A winter visitor to Louisiana, found in 61 of 64 parishes and 7 habitats.
- Here
- Winter
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- 61 of 64 parishes
- Habitats
- 7

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Winter
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- 61 of 64 parishes
- Habitats
- 7
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Louisiana 7
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.
Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.
Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.
Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Tree plantations and managed pine
Planted or intensively managed stands of pine or hardwoods grown for timber; a land use rather than a natural community.
Other habitats in its models (116)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Louisiana. Those recorded in Louisiana first, the rest by region.
In Louisiana 2
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
Elsewhere in the South (45)
- Appalachian Shale Barrens Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Winter.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest Summer.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Summer.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest Summer.
- Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Cumberland Riverscour Summer and winter.
- Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Winter.
- Northern Crowley's Ridge Sand Forest Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Winter.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Summer and winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Winter.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Summer and winter.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest Summer.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest Summer.
- Southern Appalachian Granitic Dome Winter.
- Southern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald Summer and winter.
- Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest Summer.
- Southern Appalachian Montane Cliff Summer and winter.
- Southern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland Summer.
- Southern Appalachian Rocky Summit Summer and winter.
- Southern Interior Acid Cliff Summer and winter.
- Southern Interior Calcareous Cliff Winter.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Cliff Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Granite Flatrock Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Summer.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Winter.
Northeast (9)
- Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest Summer.
- Appalachian Hemlock-Hardwood Forest Summer.
- Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Central Appalachian Oak and Pine Forest Summer.
- Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland Summer.
- North-Central Appalachian Acidic Cliff and Talus Summer and winter.
- North-Central Appalachian Circumneutral Cliff and Talus Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer.
Midwest (11)
- Central Interior Acidic Cliff and Talus Summer and winter.
- Central Interior Calcareous Cliff and Talus Summer and winter.
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer.
- North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Summer.
- North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Summer.
- North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Summer.
- North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest Summer.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Winter.
Land cover and other classes (49)
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood Summer.
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Summer.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- Central Appalachian Floodplain - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
- Central Appalachian Riparian - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Developed, Low Intensity Winter.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest - Offsite Pine Modifier Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Treed Summer.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Summer.
- Recently Burned Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest - Xeric Summer.
- Southern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald - Shrub Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Summer and winter.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Summer.
Seasons in Louisiana
- Winter: does not nest here, in 61 of 64 parishes.
Food plants
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.
Native plants in these genera 148
- Erect KnotweedPolygonum erectum
- Tall KnotweedPolygonum ramosissimum
- Gregg's AmaranthAmaranthus greggii
- Palmer's AmaranthAmaranthus palmeri
- Rough-fruit AmaranthAmaranthus tuberculatus
- Smooth PigweedAmaranthus hybridus
- Southern Water-hempAmaranthus australis
- Common RagweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- Giant RagweedAmbrosia trifida
- Lanceleaf RagweedAmbrosia bidentata
- Perennial RagweedAmbrosia psilostachya
- Arkansas sedgeCarex arkansana
- Hammock SedgeCarex fissa var. aristata
- Little Tooth SedgeCarex microdonta
- Ozark SedgeCarex ozarkana
- Painted SedgeCarex picta
- Southern Dark Green SedgeCarex venusta var. minor
- Tissue SedgeCarex hyalina
- Bent SedgeCarex styloflexa
- Black-edge SedgeCarex nigromarginata
- Bladder SedgeCarex intumescens
- Blue SedgeCarex glaucodea
- Blue Wood SedgeCarex flaccosperma
- Blunt Broom SedgeCarex tribuloides
Plant genera in its diet records (26)
- Polygonum Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Louisiana
- Amaranthus Seeds. 1 diet record. 5 native plants in Louisiana
- Ambrosia Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Louisiana
- Anthemis Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Brassica Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Calandrinia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Carex Seeds. 1 diet record. 84 native plants in Louisiana
- Centaurea Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Claytonia Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Louisiana
- Erodium Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Geranium Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Louisiana
- Lupinus Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Louisiana
- Madia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Panicum Seeds. 1 diet record. 12 native plants in Louisiana
- Phleum Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Portulaca Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Louisiana
- Rumex Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Louisiana
- Silene Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Louisiana
- Solanum Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Louisiana
- Sonchus Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Spergula Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
- Stellaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Louisiana
- Toxicodendron Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Louisiana
- Trifolium Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Louisiana
- Viola Seeds. 1 diet record. 13 native plants in Louisiana
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in Louisiana, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Birds 153
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Inca DoveColumbina inca
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Western Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia hypugaea
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
Plants 958
- Muck SunflowerHelianthus simulans
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Dog-fennelEupatorium capillifolium
- Threadleaf SundropsOenothera linifolia
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Golden CrownbeardVerbesina encelioides
- Blackeyed SusanRudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima
- Downy Ground-cherryPhysalis pubescens
- Gray Ground-cherryPhysalis grisea
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 90
- Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Blue-winged WarblerVermivora pinus
- Chestnut-sided WarblerDendroica pensylvanica
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
- Magnolia WarblerDendroica magnolia
- Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Bell's VireoVireo bellii
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
Plants 131
- Southern DewberryRubus trivialis
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
- Hairy LettuceLactuca hirsuta
- Saltmarsh Morning-gloryIpomoea sagittata
- Earleaf GreenbrierSmilax auriculata
- Trailing LespedezaLespedeza procumbens
- Creeping LespedezaLespedeza repens
- Violet LespedezaLespedeza frutescens
- Wand LespedezaLespedeza violacea
- Hairy Small-leaf Tick-trefoilDesmodium ciliare
- Hoary Tick-trefoilDesmodium canescens
Hardwood and oak flatwoods
Birds 108
- Red-cockaded WoodpeckerPicoides borealis
- Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Hooded WarblerWilsonia citrina
- Kentucky WarblerOporornis formosus
- Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
Plants 11
- Barrens MilkweedAsclepias hirtella
- Barbed Rattlesnake RootPrenanthes barbata
- Rafinesque's SeedboxLudwigia hirtella
- Longs SedgeCarex longii
- Bushs MuhlyMuhlenbergia bushii
- Nutmeg HickoryCarya myristiciformis
- Wolf's SpikerushEleocharis wolfii
- Dwarf PalmettoSabal minor
- PecanCarya illinoinensis
- Lanceleaf GreenbrierSmilax smallii
- Cat GreenbrierSmilax glauca
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Dark-eyed Junco Elevation up to 2,500 m
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus












































































