Fauna Flora Photography

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

Length15-18cm
Weight18-25g
Wingspan22-25cm

Common Names

GermanWinterammer
EnglishDark-eyed Junco
FrenchJunco ardoisé
SpanishJunco ojioscuro

Taxonomy

OrderPasseriformes
FamilyPasserellidae
SpeciesJunco hyemalis

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
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2018-04-01
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2017-11-26
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Airport Heights Park - 2017-08-13
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Airport Heights Park - 2017-08-13
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2015-10-03

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.

SpringSummerFallWinter
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.


Last updated on 2024-03-14. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.