Dark Eyed Junco
By Meghan Anderson
These smallish sparrows are among the most abundant forest birds of North America. They are often on woodland walks and also can be observed regularly on the First Saturday Bird Walk at Irene Rinehart Park. You’ll also find them at your feeders, although they prefer to forage on, or near, the ground. They sport a dark, almost black head and neck, with brownish shoulders and wings, a whitish belly and pale beak.
About 6 inches long from head to tail, Juncos can be identified in flight by matching long white outer tail feathers that seem to ‘flash’ as they fly. They will live in the Ellensburg area all year; while some may migrate farther north in the summer to breed.
There are regional variations, like the ‘slate-colored’ and ‘Oregon’ varieties.
The Oregon features a more brown-toned coloring as described, and the slate-colored has grayish tones. Both variations are found in our county. These delightful birds often forage and travel in groups. You can hear their soft twittering calls as they move quickly among the brush pausing to shuffle their feet in leafy debris looking for food.
Check out more information from Audubon: Dark-eyed Juncos, Backyard Gems, Come in a Dazzling Array of Colors.
