Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Sparrow family (Emberizidae)
A medium-sized sparrow. Pale bill, white belly, grayish-black head and breast, dark eye, dark tail with conspicuous white outer tail feathers.
Voice:
Song is a short trill or series of trills, usually on one pitch.
Name Origin:
Junco is from the Latin for “a rush,” a type of wetland plant. This is an inappropriate name because the junco does not occur in wetlands. The species name hyemalis is from the Latin for “winter” because early ornithologists only observed juncos during the winter.
In the Nature Park:
Winter resident. Arrives in fall, departs in spring. Migrates north during the nesting season.
Photos:
Dark-eyed Junco
