Junco

  Appearance

  Juncos are 5-6 inches long.   They are gray on top and white on their chests and bellies.  They outside tail feathers are also white.  They have black eyes and are called dark-eyed juncos.  They have a short, fat, pinkish beak.

  Junco chicks look very different from the adults.  They are brownish and striped and spotted all over.

  What do juncos do?

  Juncos live in conifer or mixed woodlands.   In the winter, they visit parks and gardens.

  Juncos live all across the United States and Canada.

  Juncos have a soft, musical call.  It is a trill on the same pitch. 

  Juncos eat seeds from the ground.   They also eat small fruits.

  Juncos migrate, but you will see them in yards or near bird feeders in the winter.

  Mating and babies

  Juncos build a cup-shaped nest.  They use grass, twigs, grass, hair, moss and rootlets.  They build them on the ground or in a pile of weeds.  Sometimes they hide them under a rock ledge or a fallen log

  The female lays 3-6 bluish or greenish eggs with brown spots.  The chicks hatch after about 2 weeks.  After 2 more weeks, they are ready to leave the nest.

  Both parents take care of the chicks.

  Interesting facts

  Juncos are sometimes called "snow birds" because of their white belly.

  Juncos will come back to the same bird feeders year after year.

  Male juncos will peck other juncos to show who's boss.