Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis
Sparrow family (Emberizidae)

Habitat: 
Forest edges.

Description: 
Medium-sized sparrow, 6” long.  Pale bill, white belly, gray to black head and breast, dark eye, dark tail with conspicuous white outer tail feathers.

Nesting: 
Does not nest in this region.

Voice:
Song is a short trill or series of trills, usually on one pitch.

Name Origin:
Junco, Latin, juncus for “a rush” – an inappropriate name for a bird that does not occur among rushes (in wetlands); hyemalis, Latin for “winter”, based on observations by early ornithologists of its presence only during the winter.

In the Nature Park:
Winter resident.  Arrives in September and October, departs in March and April.  Migrates north to New England and southern Canada during the nesting season.  Juncos are easy to recognize – they usually occur in flocks on or near the ground in forests and open areas.  During flight, their white outer tail feathers are conspicuous.