Dark-eyed (slate-colored) junco
Junco hyemalis
Summary 3
The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is t a small sparrow with a black head and breast, chestnut back, gray wings and white belly. They flash their white tails in flight. Females are slightly lighter/duller in color and smaller than males.
To hear examples of Dark-eyed Junco sounds: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/sounds
Where on campus? 4
Dark-eyed Juncos are found in almost all of the grassy areas of the campus and are frequently seen foraging in and around the planted roofs of the lower campus and around the conifers growing alongside parking lot 8. In Winter, they are frequently seen in mixed species flocks with other species of sparrow and goldfinches.
Habitat 4
Dark-eyed Juncos are found in a wide variety of habitats including coniferous forests, open woodlands, fields, parks, and backyards.
Life History 4
Nesting: Females build nests out of grasses, conifer needles and potentially other materials. They lay clutches of an average of 4 eggs and 1-3 broods/year.
Feeding: Dark-eyed Juncos are primarily seed eaters and hop around foraging on the ground, though they will eat insects, especially during the breeding season.
Distribution 4
There are several races of Dark-eyed Junco. The Oregon race (our local one) is found throughout the wetern Uniged States.
Migration 4
While some populations of Dark-eyed Juncos may be migratory, ours appear to be residents.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Robin Horn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerkey/8133812669/
- (c) Blake Matheson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3214295186_e21363a8da_o.jpg
- Adapted by gillian360 from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junco_hyemalis
- (c) gillian360, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
