Dark-eyed Juncos – a subtle beauty?

Dark-eyed Juncos are another bird that visits my later winter feeder and brings its young to my feeder in summer. They are ground nesters that give their “click” (almost like a soft knocking together of two stones) call as they flit through the bushes – trying to draw you away from their nest or young. The Juncos here out west are more colourful than those I remember from back east – a subtle and distinguished colouring. I enjoy watching these birds at any time, but especially on a winter day when they are looking for ground feed and in summer when they feed their young outside my office window.

A Dark-eyed Junco adult

Dark-eyed Junco feeding young

hungry fledglings

A Dark-eyed Junco fledgling

all writing and photos copyright Joanne Siderius