Hence, the dark-eyed junco at my birdbath was the subspecies slate-colored junco. The handsome male bird has a swank, slate-gray cowl that extends to its wings and tail, with a neat trim of white ...

The dark-eyed junco is actually part of the new world sparrow group and between the 15 subspecies is one of the most widespread birds in North America. Populations thrive from the Arctic to ...

The slate colored dark-eyed junco can be spotted in Montana during the winter months. The bird has a pink bill with a white belly and white outer tail feathers.

The raptor fixates on the junco’s bright tail feathers, seizes those, and the junco escapes, sans tail. But tail feathers grow back, and the junco lives to see another day.

Both male and female dark-eyed juncos have a reddish-brown back and sides, white belly, dark eyes, and a pinkish bill. Their white outer tail feathers are visible in flight but hidden when stationary.

The dark-eyed junco is a medium-sized sparrow with dark gray plumage on its head, chest and upper parts that contrasts with the white belly and their white outer tail feathers.

For more information on dark-eyed juncos, visit one of the three Moana Nursery store locations at 1100 W. Moana Ln. and 11301 S. Virginia St. in Reno and 7644 Pyramid Hwy. in Sparks.

The dark-eyed junco, also popularly known as the slate-colored junco, is an abundant ground feeder in the winter around and under feeders. It is 6 inches from beak to tail with a wingspan of 9-10 ...

Chickadees might be popular as tiny birds of Christmas, but the dark-eyed junco is winter's ground soldier. Flocks of juncos, which usually nest and rear their young in conifer forests, move into ...

The young leave the nest in 9-12 days. Studies have shown that dark-eyed junco’s nests are the victim of predators between 20-80 percent of the time. Rodents such as chipmunks and deer mice are ...

Last year, 2020, on Oct. 18, with a heavy frost the snowbirds arrived in our yard. The year prior, 2019, they arrived on Oct. 15. This year the snowbirds, aka a dark-eyed junco (once known as the ...