Dark-eyed Junco Photo Gallery

Adult male (Slate-colored)

Medium-sized sparrow with round head, long tail, and fairly small, pale bill. All juncos have prominent white outer tail feathers. Male "Slate-colored" form is mostly gray with white belly.

Adult male (Oregon)

Medium-sized sparrow with round head, small, pale bill, and long tail with white outer feathers. "Oregon" form of western North America has dark brown hood, light brown back, buffy sides, and white belly.

Adult male and juvenile (Slate-colored)

Breeds in forests; "Slate-colored" form is mostly clean gray with white belly. White outer tail feathers (present even in juvenile) and high, thin chip notes are distinctive.

Adult male (Pink-sided)

All juncos have pale bills and white outer tail feathers that they flash in flight. "Pink-sided" form around Rocky Mountains has a slate-gray head, brown back, and pinkish-brown sides.

Adult (Red-backed)

Medium-sized sparrow with white outer tail feathers and small bill. "Red-backed" form of southwestern U.S. has gray head, dark face, and bright reddish brown back. Upper mandible of bill is darker gray than lower.

Adult male (Oregon)

Pale bill is distinctive for all forms of juncos. "Oregon" form has dark hood and brown back. Often feeds on ground; also comes to feeders.

Adult (Gray-headed)

Medium-sized sparrow with small bill. "Gray-headed" form has gray head, dark face, and bright reddish brown back; very similar to "Red-backed" form but with all-pale bill.

Adult male (White-winged)

Medium-sized sparrow with small, pale bill and white outer tail feathers. "White-winged" form is slightly paler gray than "Slate-colored" form, with faint white wingbars and a dark face.

Adult (Gray-headed)

White outer tail feathers are very prominent in flight but inconspicuous on ground. "Gray-headed" form of interior western North America has mostly gray head and body with reddish-brown back. This video has no audio.

Adult male (cismontanus)

The "cismontanus" subspecies breeds in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. It has a dark brown head, brown back, and white belly.

Female/immature (Slate-colored)

Female and young "Slate-colored" form are variable; can be much browner than the males.

Adult (White-winged)

"White-winged" form resembles "Slate-colored" form but has two white wingbars. It occurs in a small range in the central United States. This video has no audio.

Juvenile (Slate-colored)

Juvenile juncos are streaky, but note the white outer tail feathers and round-headed, small-billed general appearance.

Adult male (Slate-colored)

Adult (Slate-colored)

Juncos are among the most common songbirds of North America. They typically live in forest understories but often visit feeders, especially during winter.