Called “snowbirds” for their habit of arriving with the winter, Dark-eyed juncos are everywhere these days, foraging in flocks and frequenting feeders. One of the most common winter birds, juncos are easily identified by their dark gray to brown back and wings, white underparts, delicate pink beaks, and white outer tail feathers which they flash in flight. There can be significant variation in the plumage of juncos; generally, males are darker and have less cinnamon coloration than females. Several subspecies exist regionally that differ in shades of gray and brown. More unusual is to come across strong variations in eye color, and recently we caught a young female whose eyes were truly remarkable – a striking shade of blue-gray, rather than the usual deep, dark mahogany-brown. A study done on their breeding grounds in Northern NY found that junco eye color changes over time - birds hatch with grayish eyes, which slowly turn brown from the pupil outward. By early fall, most birds will have begin this process and by the time they reach Powdermill, will have all-brown eyes. We caught our interesting female in late November, and yet she still had no trace of brown in her eyes, making her a beautiful rarity. If you want to see more of these fascinating birds, simply put out some seed (their favorite is millet) and they will gladly stop by. And who knows, if you look close you might see something extraordinary amidst the flock that comes to visit.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:36:35 +0000
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