Looking at the birds in the trees in my neighborhood this past week, I spotted a dark-colored bird that I could not identify (and had never seen before). I managed to get some clear shots and have been looking at identification guides on the internet and have tentatively identified it as a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), though I must confess that I don’t feel really confident about my identification.
What do you think? I’d welcome any assistance that more experienced birders could provide in identifying this little bird.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
I can’t identify it but it’s a bonnie bird and you got some great shots of it.
Sorry Mike, I’m not good with bird identification but I would think any bird person would be able to identify it from these photos.
Unquestionable, Mike. That is absolutely a Dark-eyed Junco. When they fly, you’ll see the distinctive flash of white in the tail.
Thanks, Joe. This was the first junco that I’ve seen and the guides have all kinds of variations of the bird, so I had a few doubts about the id.
Hi Mike, definitely a Junco!
I have them in backyard all winter. They seem to only eat seeds from the ground and disappear as soon as spring comes … weird
Thanks, Joel. Now that I know what they are, I suspect that I will see them everywhere this winter.
Glad some people knew! Not a bird that visits the UK but the photos are great 🙂
Thanks, Sarah. I sometimes forget that the birds and other wildlife that I see are often geographically very specific and the common species here may not be common (or even present) elsewhere.
There are many people around the world who are so familiar with their own native wildlife that they forget that others may never have even heard of them! I love discovering new wildlife on WordPress 🙂 It’s often only the showy creatures that get featured in documentaries!
Not a job but when we can afford it, I direct and produce videos for a musician friend of mine, Julia K 🙂