Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
A member of the sparrow family, Dark-Eyed Juncos reside in Texas during their non-breeding season, generally early September through late May. Identify them by their small size (slightly larger than a chipping sparrow), pinkish bills, smooth grey feathers on top, and bright white tail feathers visible most easily when they are in flight. There are wide variations among Juncos, so much so that they were considered five separate species until the late 1980s. Our variation is referred to as “slate colored”.
The males’ song is like that of the Chipping Sparrow and Pine Warbler – an even trill of 7-23 notes lasting up to 2 seconds. Although small, this bird packs a loud song that can be heard several hundred feet away. Both sexes sing, although the females’ song doesn’t carry as far. Their calls are short chips delivered rapidly when flying or foraging. Aggressive males will call a “kew” to warn others away, mostly during breeding season.
Juncos are ground feeders, hopping around the base of trees and shrubs (or your bird feeder) as they seek out fallen seeds. During the winter, they will frequent open woodlands, fields, parks, and yards. Seeds make up 75% of their diet year-round – if you want to attract them to your feeder during their visit to central Texas, keep millet available. They appear to prefer that over sunflower seeds. When breeding, they add insects to their diet.
These birds typically form large flocks, especially during the winter, and they will forage with other sparrows and bluebirds. There is a pecking order amongst the flock with the more dominant birds leading. During the spring, the males become territorial as they court females with tail flicks and offerings of nest materials. Females appear to prefer males with more white in their tails.
Dark-Eyed Juncos breed mostly in Canada and parts of Alaska, with some varieties in the western U.S. and the Appalachians living and breeding in the same location year-round. The female builds the nest close to the ground and sometimes under buildings. Rarely will their nest be higher up than 45 feet. The nests are small and shaped around the body of the female. She builds a new nest each year, rarely reusing an old one. She lays 3 to 6 eggs per brood and produces between 1 and 3 broods each year. Eggs incubate around 2 weeks with the nestlings remaining in the nest for 10-13 days before fledging.
We only get to enjoy these handsome birds for a few months, so be sure you have millet in your feeders if you’d like to entice them to your yard.
Compiled by Lisa S. Graham. Sources include All About Birds (Cornell), eBird, Audubon Field Guide, and “National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America”.
Photo credit: Scott Martin-Macaulay Library
