Dark-eyed Junco

The Dark-eyed Junco is a common songbird visitor to our garden.

Latin name: Junco hyemalis

Length, wingspan: 6.25″, 9.25″

What they eat: Seeds, insects

Habitat: Forests, woodlands

Plants that attract: Trees and shrubs

Where they nest: On the ground in a depression

My observations: Even though the Dark-eyed Junco is a common bird, they are anything but common in my book. They are beautifully marked with very dark heads and gray to brown backs and wings. They have creamy breasts and white tail feathers. I typically see them hopping around on the ground below feeders, gobbling up seeds. They’re a bit bashful around me, often scurrying into dense brush. They always seem to get along well with the other birds in my garden. Juncos nest in the mountains so are only fall and winter visitors in this area.

For more details about this bird, go to Cornell’s All About Birds website.

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