Dark-eyed Junco
Monday, December 31st, 2007One of my favorite winter time visitors is the Slate Colored Junco or Dark-eyed Junco. Dark-eyed Juncos come in 5 forms but here in Illinois we only see the Slate Colored version. This plain little sparrow isn’t all decked out like a hotrod sporting the latest Dodge Charger accessory. It is simply dark grey and white. But that is what I think makes it so striking! The slate colored juncos spend the summer months in Canada and visit the Midwest only during the winter months. The sight of their dark feathers against the white snow is breathtaking. Juncos are probably the most common bird that you will see at your feeder during the winter months.
