Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Dark-eyed Junco

The other day when I was gathering the bird pictures I posted, I noticed that one of the Juncos I photographed was very dark compared to the others, almost black.  So I looked the species up and learned that it is one of the most plentiful and the most variable birds on the continent. 

Juncos are considered to be sparrows, even though they are largely grey and white, not brown and striped like most sparrows.  In this part of the continent they are called the Slate-coloured Junco, and they are white underneath, grey on the back and black around the head.

Juncos are one of the most numerous birds in North America.  They both feed and build their nests on the ground, pecking through the leaves for seeds,and grabbing insects when they can, especially during the breeding season.

This is the very dark Junco I saw the other day, almost completely black on top.   I had to watch some time before it turned around.  Looking up Juncos I learned that there is widespread colour variation and at least 6 different sub-types of the Dark-eyed Junco.

This is the best known of the variations, the Oregon Junco, which is much more brown on the sides and back, though it still has the black head and white underneath.  Taken at my daughter's house in B.C.

The three birds in front are also Oregon Juncos, foraging in the grass beneath a feeder, though they will also come to a feeder on occasion.  Thd bird in the background is a Spotted Towhee.

Here you can see how dark the centre Junco is compared to the other two.  We all know birds that migrate south for the winter and reappear in the spring, from warblers to robins.  Juncos breed in the northern boreal forest.  They do fly south when winter arrives, but only into eastern North America.  They are the birds that come with the snow, or 'Snowbirds'.  There's a lot more to the story of the Junco than I realized.

15 comments:

  1. Yes, I've seen them in the winter. They're remarkable little birds. Terrific shots!

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  2. I used to have juncos gather seed from under my bird feeder. I never saw one on the feeder, though. Thanks for all the great information; I didn't know most of it. :-)

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  3. With our winter travels to the Southwest over the years we would only get to see the Juncos in the Spring when we returned and it wasn't long before they all headed back up north. Saw my first Junco a few days ago and now we have half a dozen or so hopping around the front yard. Looking forward to seeing more of them when winter sets in.

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  4. Juncos also show up at feeders in the nastiest of weather.

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  5. We get lots of these birds at our feeders - year round.

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  6. Don't think I've seen any - not in my yard anyway. Robins, blue jays, crows, chickadees, sparrows, heron, hawks overhead, very occasioinally a humming bird, squirrels (whoops), raccoons (that was a big long story - they moved in and were not the best of guests), moles, rats, mice, very occasionally a red headed woodpecker. I love watching and identifying.
    Joy

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  7. Blogger friends explained to me about the variations. I kept asking what bird is this and it was a gray form unlike the dark form. I am waiting to see the junco to come south to spend the winter with me. I have not seen one yet. When I do see one I will immediately take a photo and share.

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  8. We certainly don't see any of those birds here. Bird migration is an endlessly fascinating topic and much more complex than most people imagine.

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  9. The Oregon Junco is my favorite. Great birds and photos. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

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  10. I live in Eastern Oregon and I always know when it's getting cold in the Blue Mountains because the juncos migrate down here for the winter. the distance isn't far, but the temperature difference is. They are charming little birds for sure.

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  11. I've noticed the variation before too. They seem to be social birds as they are usually in large groups.

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  12. I call them snow birds too, there were a whole flock here the other day befor it rained...luckily it was too warm to snow..this time:)

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  13. Oregon Juncos come each year and nest somewhere on our cliff. The mother brings her babies (after they have fledged) down to the edge of the lake to bathe. If I put seeds on the bridge they will feast there before heading home. - Margy

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