Bird Basics
Dark-eyed
Junco
(
Junco hyemalis)
Identification
At
first glance you may shrug off the diminutive
junco as a bland-colored bird. But
upon closer inspection you'll note that
the sleek darker top softly fades to a downy
white underbelly.  And,
if you look real closely, you'll see that
juncos have one of the prettiest beaks;
a gorgeous shell-pink that contrasts nicely
with its dark hood. When driving your
car along rural roads, the sudden flash
of white outer tail feathers will confirm
you just startled a flock of juncos.
There
are five forms, with two other identities
possibly becoming forms in the near future.
In the Midwest, the slate-colored form is
our "snowbird," usually arriving
six weeks prior to our first significant
snowfall. Go ahead: keep an annual
log and see how accurate this old wive's
tale is!
Nesting
While
juncos prefer cavityies for nesting, they
will also construct a small, cupped nest
secured on rocky hills and on steep roadsides.
They have one brood a year of 3-5 nestlings.
Range
Some
form of junco can be found in nearly every
state. The slate-colored form can be found
throughout Central North America from Alaska
south to Texas and east. During the
summer months, this form breeds across Canada
and into Alaska. It also can be found
year-round in the very Northeast tip of
Minnesota, near the BWCA (Boundary Waters
Canoe Area).
Diet
Fruit
and insects are the preferred diet, but
slate-colored juncos are feeder birds as
well. In fact, during the winter months
they are traditionally the most common feeder
bird throughout the Midwest. Seeds
of choice include millet and Nyjer.
Listen
to the Dark-eyed Junco
mp3
file generously donated by John Feith
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