Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Although there are many different subspecies with considerable variety in coloring, the one I spot near Montreal comes very close to the original description as a grey bird with white belly. A sparrow appearing in small flocks picking up food from the ground.
- 🇫🇷 Junco ardoisé
- 🇩🇪 Winterammer
- 🇲🇽 Junco ojioscuro
Characteristics
- Length: 15-18cm
- Weight: 18-25g
- Wingspan: 22-25cm
How to Identify
Males have a dark grey head, grey body and white belly. The greyish color, the fact that the species appears usually in a flock and that it has the preference to feed on the ground, below the feeding station, provides me a strong hint. Further, being lucky to watch the bird close, the dark, almost black eyes confirms the identification.
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Where and When to Spot
I watched them on several occasions in Park Mont Royal during late autumn before and after first snowfall. The observation done in Summer was in Newfoundland near the airport.
Observations by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boisé Des Douze | x | - | - | - |
| Jardin Botanique de Montréal | x | - | - | x |
| Parc Angrignon | x | - | - | x |
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | x | x |
| Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies | x | - | - | - |
| Parc de la Frayère | x | - | - | - |
"-" indicates no observation. It may not necessarily mean though that the species is absent from the park during that season.