Dark -eyed Junco
Description
5-6 1/2". Sparrow-sized. Variable, but generally slate-gray or gray-brown above, with white abdomen sharply demarcated from gray of breast. White along sides of tail shows in flight. Pink bill. Some birds buff flanks. Birds of the dominant western form, the "Oregon Junco," have black hoods and rufous backs. The form breeeding in the Black Hills, the "white-winged Junco," has white wing bars and more white in the tail.
Voice
Trill like that of Chipping Sparrow, but slower and whit more musical, tinkling quality. Also a soft twittering.
Habitat
Coniferous or mixed forests; winters in fields, gardens, city parks, and roadside thickets.
Nesting
3-6 brown-spotted pale green or blue eggs in a deep, well-made cup of grass, moss, and strips of bark, well concealed on or near the ground in vegetation in a bank or on the forest floor.
Other
Untill recently the many geographical forms of this bird were considered separate species, but since they interbreed wherever their ranges meet, they are now considered one species. The eastern form, formerly called the "slate-colored Juno," is the only one usually encountered in the eastern states. Occasionally, however, black-headed, rusty-flanked western birds, "Oregon Juncos," may also be seen. Juncos are among the most common of our winter birds, often visiting feeders.
Picture
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