Dark-eyed Junco, snowbird, reed buntings or Junco hyemalis
Identification
Juncos are small gray and white birds that are commonly seen on the ground around bird feeders in the winter. They are sometime called snowbirds because of this. The word ‘junco’ comes from the latin word ‘juncus’, meaning reed, hence the name reed buntings. When spring comes they quickly disappear and eat from the wild. Juncos are only about ten cm. in size with grey feathers on most of their body, and a white belly. They have dark eyes (as their full name, Dark-eyed Junco, suggests), yellow beaks and dark feet. When you see them flying away from you, you can see that they have grey tail feathers, except on the edges, which are white. Juncos belong to the group of animals called vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals that have special bones in their backs called vertebrae. Vertebrae protect the main nerve highway, the spinal cord of these animals.
Migration
Juncos are migratory birds, meaning they fly from one area to another area to find food or appropriate mating territory. Juncos migrate from further north in Canada and further south in the US to the Maritimes to mate; they breed in Nova Scotia. When the birds arrive back in our area, the males start to sing to claim their territories.
Nesting
The female junco builds the nest near tall grasses, or between roots – it is almost always well hidden. The nest is cup-shaped and built with grasses, moss and twigs. The nest is usually lined with finer grasses. The female then lays three to five gray or pale-bluish eggs with dark blotches on them. She sits on the eggs for almost two weeks before they hatch. After they hatch, the parents take care of the young for two weeks before they leave the nest. The young only need their parents for another week. After that they are independent. Juncos will occasionally raise two sets of young in one season.
Diet
In the winter, juncos eat grass and other seeds. In the summer, they eat seeds and insects. Almost half of their summer diet is composed of caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and bugs.
Relationships
In different parts of North America, the junco looks quite different, with different feather colours, but it is still considered to be the same species. Juncos are one of the most common birds in North America, found from Mexico to northern Canada.Juncos perform important jobs in the ecosystem as seed dispersers. This means that they transport seeds from the plant that produces the seeds to new places.
Scientific Name
Juncos are known scientifically as Junco hyemalis.
~Monica Schuegraf
