DARK-EYED JUNCO PHOTOGRAPHED ON 2-19-25

I have had a hard time finding any birds in a tree lately, especially in our own back yard. This cooperative little junco was very nice to stay long enough for me to get a few photos.

A few facts I picked up online.

Dark-eyed juncos are one of the most common birds in North America, with an estimated population of 630 million. The oldest recorded dark-eyed junco lived to be at least 11 years and 4 months old. In the winter, they grow more feathers, making them up to 30% heavier. 

They roost in evergreens, tall grasses and brush piles. They return to the same roosting location every night. Considered "snowbirds" in the middle latitudes, appearing in the winter and retreating northward in the spring. 

Their diet is primarily of seeds, including chickweed, buckwheat, lamb's quarters and sorrel. Dark-eyed juncos hop or walk on the ground, pecking or scratching at leaf litter.  

They also fly low in underbrush to glean food from twigs and leaves. They have dark gray heads, bright white outer tail feathers, and a sharp border between their hood and sides and belly. Dark-eyed juncos make a ringing metallic trill, a soft buzzy trill in flight and a "tsick" or "tchet" call.

You can find out more about them and hear their call at this website.

These little birds usually appear in the late Autumn in our part of northern Virginia, and leave around late March/early April. They are always a welcome visitor.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your day is a great one.