Dark-eyed Junco?

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Dark-eyed Junco?

January 30, 2015 by Mike Powell

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.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Dark-eyed Junco, junco, Junco hyemalis, Runnyeade, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on January 30, 2015 at 9:09 am | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

I can’t identify it but it’s a bonnie bird and you got some great shots of it.
on January 30, 2015 at 9:28 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

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.
on January 30, 2015 at 9:28 am | Reply joeschelling

Unquestionable, Mike. That is absolutely a Dark-eyed Junco. When they fly, you’ll see the distinctive flash of white in the tail.
- on January 30, 2015 at 9:30 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  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.
on January 30, 2015 at 3:03 pm | Reply joeleagle

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
- on January 31, 2015 at 9:11 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Joel. Now that I know what they are, I suspect that I will see them everywhere this winter.
on January 30, 2015 at 5:14 pm | Reply Sarah Longes - Mirador Design

Glad some people knew! Not a bird that visits the UK but the photos are great 🙂
- on January 31, 2015 at 9:13 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  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.
  - on January 31, 2015 at 8:23 pm Sarah Longes - Mirador Design
    
    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!
  - on February 1, 2015 at 6:46 pm Sarah Longes - Mirador Design
    
    Not a job but when we can afford it, I direct and produce videos for a musician friend of mine, Julia K 🙂