Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Aves
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 3-11 yrs
- Size
- Small
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Flock
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Speed
- Status
- Common
About
A compact sparrow-sized bird of North American forests and suburban feeders, the Dark-eyed Junco is instantly recognizable by its sharp contrast of slate-gray hood and back against a crisp white belly. Often called "snowbirds," they flood backyards in winter and flash bright white outer tail feathers when startled into flight.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small clutch of speckled eggs is incubated in a cup nest, turned and kept warm by the parent.
- 2.hatchlingA pink, blind hatchling is fed by its parents in the nest, gaping its bill at every visit.
- 3.juvenileA feathered juvenile fledges from the nest, learning to fly and to forage close to its parents.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage and song.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Junco
- Species
- Junco hyemalis