Library #18 · A Backyard · Wave 2

Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis · Passerellidae

Often called snowbirds — they show up as winter settles in.

At a glance

Size: 5.5–6.3 in
Wingspan: 7.1–9.8 in
Habitat: Forest edges, yards, under feeders
Diet: Seeds on the ground; some insects

Range: Breeds in Canada/mountains; winters across the U.S.

Nesting: Cup nest on the ground, often under a log or bank.

Coloring pose idea: Under snowy shrub / flash of white outer tail

Hear this bird

General call / song: Metallic twitters; simple musical trill song on breeding grounds.

Mating / display: Male’s even trill from a high perch in spring/summer territory.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Slate-colored form: dark hood, white belly, pink bill, white outer tail feathers.
Several regional color forms (Oregon, pink-sided, etc.).
Flashes white in the tail when it flushes.

Behavior

Ground feeders — scratch under platform feeders.
Form winter flocks that may include sparrows.
Breed in conifers farther north or higher up.

Fun facts

Different forms were once thought to be separate species.
Arrive in many southern yards right as snow threatens.
Outer white tail feathers are a key ID flash.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.