Fauna Flora Photography

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Aves > Passeriformes > Passerellidae

Names in different Languages

GermanWinterammer
EnglishDark-eyed Junco
FrenchJunco ardoisé
SpanishJunco ojioscuro

Description

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.

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.

Where 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.

Photos

Observations

2022-04-10Parc Angrignon
2021-08-26Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park
2019-04-21Boisé Des Douze
2019-04-13Parc de la Frayère
2019-02-17Jardin Botanique de Montréal
2018-04-01Jardin Botanique de Montréal
2018-04-01Parc Mont-Royal
2017-11-26Parc Mont-Royal
2017-08-13Airport Heights Park
2015-10-03Parc Mont-Royal