Dark-eyed Junco: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, Asia and North America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Craig K. Hunt · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Junco hyemalis
- Family
- New World Sparrows
- Size
- About 15 cm
- Habitat
- Woods and backyards in winter
- Found in
- Europe, Asia and North America
The key marks
A grey body with a white belly, a pale pink bill and white outer tail feathers. Song Sparrow is streaky brown.
Voice
A smacking 'tsip' and a dry trill.
Good to know
Known as the 'snowbird' because it arrives for winter in many places.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Song Sparrow. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in woods and backyards in winter. It is especially common in Canada, the United States and California. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.