Bird
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
A winter visitor to Mississippi, found in all 82 counties and 10 habitats.
- Here
- Winter
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 82 counties
- Habitats
- 10

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Winter
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 82 counties
- Habitats
- 10
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Mississippi 10
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.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
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.
Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.
Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.
Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.
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 (114)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Mississippi. Those recorded in Mississippi first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (48)
- 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-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods 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 Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland 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 (46)
- 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 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 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 Mississippi
- Winter: does not nest here, in all 82 counties.
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 198
- Erect KnotweedPolygonum erectum
- 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
- Carex atlantica subsp. atlanticaCarex atlantica subsp. atlantica
- Carex atlantica subsp. capillaceaCarex atlantica subsp. capillacea
- Carex baltzelliiCarex baltzellii
- Carex bromoides subsp. bromoidesCarex bromoides subsp. bromoides
- Carex communis var. communisCarex communis var. communis
- Carex dasycarpaCarex dasycarpa
- Carex scoparia var. scopariaCarex scoparia var. scoparia
- Carex striata var. striataCarex striata var. striata
- Crawes SedgeCarex crawei
- Eastern Fox SedgeCarex triangularis
- False Hair SedgeCarex bulbostylis
- Hammock SedgeCarex fissa
- Hammock SedgeCarex fissa var. aristata
- Little Tooth SedgeCarex microdonta
- Painted SedgeCarex picta
Plant genera in its diet records (26)
- Polygonum Seeds. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Mississippi
- Amaranthus Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Mississippi
- Ambrosia Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Mississippi
- Anthemis Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Brassica Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Calandrinia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Carex Seeds. 1 diet record. 131 native plants in Mississippi
- Centaurea Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Claytonia Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Mississippi
- Erodium Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Geranium Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Mississippi
- Lupinus Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Mississippi
- Madia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Panicum Seeds. 1 diet record. 14 native plants in Mississippi
- Phleum Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Portulaca Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Mississippi
- Rumex Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Mississippi
- Silene Seeds. 1 diet record. 6 native plants in Mississippi
- Solanum Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Mississippi
- Sonchus Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Spergula Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Mississippi
- Stellaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Mississippi
- Toxicodendron Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Mississippi
- Trifolium Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Mississippi
- Viola Seeds. 1 diet record. 16 native plants in Mississippi
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in Mississippi, 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 129
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Bell's VireoVireo bellii
Plants 1094
- Muck SunflowerHelianthus simulans
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Dog-fennelEupatorium capillifolium
- Threadleaf SundropsOenothera linifolia
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Carolina HorsenettleSolanum carolinense var. carolinense
- Blackeyed SusanRudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima
- Downy Ground-cherryPhysalis pubescens
- Gray Ground-cherryPhysalis grisea
All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in Mississippi
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 75
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Bell's VireoVireo bellii
- Blue-winged WarblerVermivora pinus
- Chestnut-sided WarblerDendroica pensylvanica
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
- Magnolia WarblerDendroica magnolia
- Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Buff-bellied HummingbirdAmazilia yucatanensis
Plants 172
- Rosinweed SunflowerHelianthus silphioides
- Southern DewberryRubus trivialis
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
- Hairy GoldenrodSolidago hispida var. hispida
- Old Field AsterSymphyotrichum pilosum var. pilosum
- Hairy LettuceLactuca hirsuta
- Upland BonesetEupatorium sessilifolium
- Earleaf GreenbrierSmilax auriculata
- Creeping LespedezaLespedeza repens
- Matted CrowngrassPaspalum minus
Pine flatwoods
Birds 58
- Red-cockaded WoodpeckerPicoides borealis
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
- Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Common Ground-doveColumbina passerina
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
Plants 170
- Vaccinium darrowiiVaccinium darrowii
- Coreopsis pubescens var. debilisCoreopsis pubescens var. debilis
- Curtiss' BeakrushRhynchospora curtissii
- Rhynchospora fernaldiiRhynchospora fernaldii
- Savanna Yellow-eyed-grassXyris flabelliformis
- Shortleaf Yellow-eyed-grassXyris brevifolia
- Dwarf MilkwortSenega nana
- Symphyotrichum adnatumSymphyotrichum adnatum
- Quercus chapmaniiQuercus chapmanii
- Dwarf Live OakQuercus minima
- Kalmia hirsutaKalmia hirsuta
- Physalis arenicolaPhysalis arenicola
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






























































