Yellow-eyed Junco
Junco phaeonotus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusJunco (Juncos)
- SpeciesJunco phaeonotus (Yellow-eyed Junco)
About the Yellow-eyed Junco
The yellow-eyed junco (Junco phaeonotus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found from the southwestern United States to Guatemala. The yellow-eyed junco was formally described in 1831 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler from a specimen collected in Mexico. He introduced a new genus, Junco, and coined the binomial Junco phaeonotus. The genus name is from Latin iuncus meaning "rush". The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek phaios meaning "dusky" or "brown" with -nōtos meaning "-backed".
The yellow-eyed junco has these four subspecies: J. p. palliatus Ridgway, 1885 J. p. phaeonotus Wagler, 1831 J. p. fulvescens Nelson, 1897 J. p. alticola Salvin, 1863 Within the species the Clements taxonomy groups J. p. palliatus and J. p. phaeonotus as the "yellow-eyed junco (Mexican)". It calls J. p. fulvescens the "yellow-eyed junco (Chiapas)" and J. p. alticola the "yellow-eyed junco (Guatemalan)". The American Ornithological Society recognizes the same three-way subdivision of the species.
What is now Baird's junco (Junco bairdi) was previously considered a subspecies of the yellow-eyed junco. Following... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Peucaea carpalis
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-eyed Junco in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-eyed Junco sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow-eyed Junco in Saguaro National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-eyed Junco in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.