A medium-sized sparrow with a rusty back and a characteristic yellow eye. Residents from southern Arizona and New Mexico south to northern Jalisco, Mexico, have whiter underparts.
Gray overall with a rusty back, yellow eye and white outer tail feathers.
Males sing a 2–3 parted trill from elevated perches.
Plumage darkens from north to south with northern individuals having a whiter belly and a rustier back than individuals in Chiapas, Mexico, and Guatemala.
Juveniles are grayish overall with a rusty back and dark streaks above and below.
Walks, hops, and shuffles on the ground foraging for seeds and insects.
Like other juncos, Yellow-eyed Juncos have white outer tail feathers that are most often seen in flight.
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A medium-sized sparrow with a round belly, a thick neck, and a fairly long tail. Like other sparrows, it has a small conical bill.
Larger than a House Wren, smaller than a Spotted Towhee.
sparrow-sized or smallerYellow-eyed Juncos in and around San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico, have a darker gray head, browner sides, and less white in the tail than those farther north. Individuals in southeastern Chiapas, Mexico, and southwestern Guatemala have a slate gray head and a more olive brown back, pale olive sides, and even less white in the tail.
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