Backyard Junco

[EdV]

My "Goodbye" thread showed our backyard Wrens, Nuthatches and Kinglets. Without a doubt, our #1 backyard bird is the Dark-eyed Junco. So my last post of the year is my tribute to the Junco.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/016_1_1_1.jpg

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

[shannyD]

i have them all over my backyard.. i started putting food out for them. and bird feeders. cute little birds.

[EdV]

i have them all over my backyard.. i started putting food out for them. and bird feeders. cute little birds.

Yes they are cute in their own way. What I find interesting is that in years past the Junco were almost exclusively ground feeders. This year I am finding more and more of them on the tube feeders. Looks like they learned a new trick! :)

[Duane N]

I like the colors of these birds....I guess the male is more darker then the female..either that or I have two types because one has more brown in the wing feathers that I've seen around my home.

Mine won't come to the feeders so I put some mixed seed for them and the Doves on the ground. :D

I like the detail in this photo..nice shot. ;)

[EdV]

I like the colors of these birds....I guess the male is more darker then the female..either that or I have two types because one has more brown in the wing feathers that I've seen around my home.

Mine won't come to the feeders so I put some mixed seed for them and the Doves on the ground. :D

I like the detail in this photo..nice shot. ;)

Thanks for the feedback and comments, Duane.

Yes there are a bunch of Dark-eyed Junco variants such as "Slate-colored Junco" (which is what we have here); "Oregon Junco"; "Pink-sided Junco"; "White-winged Junco"; and "Gray-headed Junco".

And the males and females are slightly different. The male Slate-colored Junco has a dark gray hood with the upper parts entirely gray or having varying amounts of brown on the back. The female is brownish-gray all over.

More than you ever wanted to know about Juncos! ;):)

[EdV]

Here's another image from this morning.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/018_1_1-5.jpg

[canonloader]

Ed, did you know that Juncos were Sparrows? :lol:

It's true. I have them all over here to, they like to eat on the ground, but I have seeds up high on table tops and they do like those, but I have never seen one eat from a feeder. :)

[EdV]

Ed, did you know that Juncos were Sparrows? :lol:

It's true. I have them all over here to, they like to eat on the ground, but I have seeds up high on table tops and they do like those, but I have never seen one eat from a feeder. :)

Yes. I just got a book entitled "Sparrows of the United States and Canada". Matter of fact, it just arrived on Saturday. It includes Juncos, Towhees, Buntings as well as Sparrows.

Like I said, I never saw them on a feeder until this year. Now it is a regular occurance.

I also find the color of this one interesting. I know I used flash but he looks a little lighter that some of the others with the gray seeming to contain a touch of blue tint (slate color??) as well as the brown.