Rural Perspectives: Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)
Photo credit: Diane Gray Constable
by Diane Gray Constable
If you have been near a bird feeder lately, you most likely saw our official “snowbird,” the slate-colored junco. It belongs to the sparrow family and is the most common bird at the winter feeders.
This bird spends summers in the northern Michigan and Canadian forests. They raise their young in small nests in depressions on the ground or among jumbled tree roots. They and the chicks feed on a variety of insects and seeds.
Around November when the weather turns cold, they migrate south to our area. During their stay, they munch on various small grass and weed seeds. They enjoy millet seeds, which are found in most mixed birdseed bags. Juncos like to eat right off the ground and will kick around snow and debris searching for food. They tend to come back to the same area year after year.
Juncos are slate-gray with a pure white chest and a light pink beak, making them easy to identify. Females and young males can have a brownish tinge, like the one pictured here. During the winter months, they grow up to 30% more feathers than they have in the summer, then puff them up to help retain their body heat. They also take shelter in conifer trees, dense shrubs, and tall grasses laid over with the weight of the snow, as the bird here is about to do.
Fun fact: Some of the males do not travel as far south as others do. This is a tactical move on their part. When they head back in April to their favorite breeding grounds, they will get there much sooner. This allows them to be in a better position to defend their territory from those who arrive later.
