Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) :: Muuuh Wildlife Photography

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.

Common Names

Dark-eyed Junco (en)
Junco ojioscuro (es)
Junco ardoisé (fr)
Winterammer (de)

Taxonomy

Passeriformes
Passerellidae
Junco hyemalis

Where & 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.

Observation Logs

On every park visit, we maintain a log of species spotted and identified. If you maintain a similar list, please consider sharing it with Muuuh Wildlife Photography: Share Logs.

Location	Spring	Autumn
Park Angrignon, Montreal	1	0
Park Mont-Royal	1	2
Park Pointe aux Prairies	1	0

Times a species has been spotted, identified and logged while visiting this park. A species is reported only once / park visit. Only parks listed which we visit frequently all year long. Consult the page animal tracking about how we log observations in field.

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.