Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Although there are many different subspecies with considerable variety in coloring, the one I spot near Montreal comes very close to the original description as a grey bird with white belly. A sparrow appearing in small flocks picking up food from the ground.
Specs
Length | 15-18cm |
Weight | 18-25g |
Wingspan | 22-25cm |
Common Names
German | Winterammer |
English | Dark-eyed Junco |
French | Junco ardoisé |
Spanish | Junco ojioscuro |
Taxonomy
Order | Passeriformes |
Family | Passerellidae |
Species | Junco hyemalis |
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How to Identify
Males have a dark grey head, grey body and white belly. The greyish color, the fact that the species appears usually in a flock and that it has the preference to feed on the ground, below the feeding station, provides me a strong hint. Further, being lucky to watch the bird close, the dark, almost black eyes confirms the identification.
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2021-08-26](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20210826-1421-0000103999.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.4)
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2018-04-01](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20180401-1406-1522577205.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.4)
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2017-11-26](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20171126-2009-1511708980.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.45&fp-y=0.5)
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Airport Heights Park - 2017-08-13](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20170813-1805-1502633108.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5)
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Airport Heights Park - 2017-08-13](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20170813-1804-1502633070.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5)
![Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2015-10-03](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20151003-2040-1443890441.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.4&fp-y=0.5)
Where and When to Spot
I watched them on several occasions in Park Mont Royal during late autumn before and after first snowfall. The observation done in Summer was in Newfoundland near the airport.
Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boisé Des Douze | x | - | - | - |
Jardin Botanique de Montréal | x | - | - | x |
Parc Angrignon | x | - | - | x |
Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | - | x |
Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies | x | - | - | - |
Parc de la Frayère | x | - | - | - |
Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.