Tag Archives: Dark-eyed Junco

In Winter At The Feeder Everyday

So long as I’ve got the feeder filled, this is one of the birds that shows up during the winter. Actually there are a few of them that come to get the black oil sunflower seeds. The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). This is one that showed up on Christmas Day to get its portrait captured in pixels.

They love seeds and are not particular about the type. They’ll eat black oil sunflower seeds (I put out the hulled seeds), safflower seeds, Nyger seeds, cracked corn, peanut hearts, millet, oats, or milo. They’ll eat from a platform feeder, or enjoy seeds that are scattered on the ground. When available, they’ll eat insects too.

These Juncos measure in from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail at about 6 inches in length.

I’ll enjoy these little birds while they’re here during the winter, and as the weather warms, I’ll look forward to their return.

_______________________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

The Pointer

A Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) that looks as if it is posing for an artist. About to become a museum piece on canvas.

This Junco, the one that I am used to seeing, is one of 14 or 15 subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco. Each having the same basic size and shape but colors that vary. The subspecies include this slate colored group, a white winged group, a brown backed group, a pink sided group, a gray headed group, and a red backed group.

The subspecies of this slate colored group has the widest distribution, including nearly all parts of the North American continent.

I grew up calling this junco, a Slate Colored Junco. Now they are all lumped together and they’re all Dark-eyed Juncos.

_____________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts, sign up here!

Juncos In Winter

Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) at my cabin are winter birds. Not to be seen during the warmer months. UNLESS you go up the mountain to the higher elevations. To the ridge tops of the Appalachian Mountains where these Juncos reside year round. Winter and summer. They along with some that live in the west, don’t migrate at all.

And see those seed heads? Left in the gardens for the birds.