Dark-eyed junco

Juncos are the birds of the in-between seasons. In fall and spring they arrive in small flocks, hopping along the ground below feeders and at the edges of gardens, and when they fly, the white outer tail feathers flash like a signal. They are small, neat sparrows with a grey hood and a pale belly.

Dark-eyed juncos are sometimes called snowbirds, since many nest in the northern forests and head south just as the snow arrives, passing through southern Manitoba. A few stay all winter where food is available. They nest on the ground, often tucked in beside a log or a rock, and they eat seeds in winter and insects in summer.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Photos

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