Patterns in the vigilance of dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) indicate that they perceive a substantial risk of predation in the early-morning initiation of daily feeding. In particular, maximum observed vigilance occurs in dim light, especially when relatively little time has elapsed since the initiation of feeding. This pattern in vigilance parallels the tendency for predatory attacks to occur in dim light soon after the initiation of feeding. Other factors such as flock size, cloud cover, and the passage of time during the study, also influenced vigilance; the effects of the latter two may also reflect patterns in predatory attacks.