Name: Dark-Eyed Junco

Description: Juncos were formerly considered separate species, but today there are 15 described species of Dark-Eyed Junco and 5 recognized subspecies, including Oregon, Gray-Headed Junco, Slate Colored Junco, White-Winged Junco and Pink-Sided Junco. Often heard before they are noticed, Dark-Eyed Juncos flitter among bushes and trees, uttering their characteristic notes from Alaska and the northern Yukon, right across Canada and the United States.

Other Names: Snowbird

Color: The Dark-Eyed Junco’s head, neck, wings, breasts and sides are dark, slate-gray and a white belly. The darkest part, which is almost black, is on the head. Female Dark-Eyed Juncos look almost the same as males, but paler, often with a slight brown tinge on the upper parts. Immature Juncos are similar to adults, but the gray areas are washed with brown.

Sound: Dark-Eyed Juncos make a sweet, rolling trill. When frightened, they dart for cover and utter sharp staccato notes of alarm that sounds like “chit chit chit."

Preferred Environment: Dark-Eyed Juncos prefer coniferous and mixed-wood forests as well as along the edges of clearings.

Nesting Habits: The Dark-Eyed Junco keeps a well-hidden nest, usually placed in depressions on the ground. Nests are made of grass, rootlets and moss, and are lined with fine grass, moss and hair. Once the young are on the wing, parents will construct a new nest to raise a second brood.

Food Preference: Dark-Eyed Juncos eat sunflower, niger (thistle), corn, peanuts, suet and millet.