Dark-eyed Junco

(Junco hyemalis)

I'll never forget the first time I saw the dark-eyed junco. There were several out back where a neighbor had a bird feeder. I immediately loved them. Their colors are so beautiful and their behavior is fun to watch. From that day on, I went out back to watch them. 

In 1747, Mark Catgesby named the dark-eyed junco a "snow bird," which is why Linnaeus named the dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis The Greek hyemalis means "winter") Junco means "rush" in Latin" (Wells, 2002).

Dark-eyed juncos are members of the sparrow family. As you see to the left, they enjoy being together and feeding together. This was just another day out back at the feeder. The snow makes it easier to see them. 

They mate for life. The female builds a small nest on the ground and the males bring her what she needs. They live 3-11 years. The males are a tad larger than the females. They are between 4.92 and 6.5 inches long and can weigh up to 0.63 ounces.

I watched in wonder as this beautiful dark-eyed junco sat up in a snowy tree and looked right at me. It was so cold out, as you can well imagine.

Dark-eyed juncos are omnivores which mean they eat both plants and meat. The majority of their food intake is seeds and berries. They also eat caterpillars, ants, moths, flies and beetles when they can't find seeds or berries. 

Where will you find these beautiful birds? They are all over the U.S. The underside of their tail is white and so, when they are alarmed, their tail feathers go up in warning to the other juncos and sparrows near them.

How do they stay warm in winter? Their coat of down feathers is 30% heavier in winter. See the dark-eyed junco to the left? See how big it looks around? 

Have you seen these birds? Look around your yard or in fields or parks. They forage on the ground and are always looking for food. 

A bird to enjoy. I hope you do.

Thank you for visiting!

Coming next week: learn about the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth

Judy

References:

 

Wells, D. (2002). 100 Birds and How They Got Their Names.

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/darkeyed_junco_facts/1472/

https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/125/_/Dark-eyed_Junco.aspx

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/bird-species/sparrows/8-cool-facts-juncos/