Dark-Eyed Junco - December's Bird of the Month

Dark-Eyed Junco

Fall migration is almost officially over, which means one

of our favorite winter birds is here, the Dark-eyed junco! These little ground feeders are members of the sparrow family and are generally only in our region for the winter, preferring to breed further north. Dark-eyed juncos spend most of their time in understory trees and shrubs and foraging for seeds on the ground. Dark-eyed juncos exhibit a variety of color patterns but are typically dark grey with light grey to white bellies and have pink-colored beaks with white outer tail feathers. These are common feeder birds, but generally prefer to eat the seeds dropped on the ground by other birds, rather than using the feeder themselves. However, if you are interested in convincing them to use a feeder, a platform feeder is your best bet! 

 

 

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