Because of you I look closer at juncos! Most of ours are slate colored. I can’t really tell the differences and females vs males confuse me. Am I seeing something different or just a female?
I noticed in one of your photos that you have slate-colored juncos. Little or no difference in gray from head to body. Females tend to be lighter or with brown on back and wings. To complicate things, right now I'm getting the "cismontanous" kind of slate-colored dark-eyed junco, which has a distinct "hood" of darker gray. You may get these too since they summer in the Canadian Rockies. You should look for wing bars with the slate-colored--might be some "white-winged" dark-eyed juncos there! Never seen those here... Gotta love juncos!
Love the junco essay complete with excellent photos. Thanks! I did not know there have been junco X white-throated sparrow hybrids. Nice to see the WTSP is still in town!
Thanks so much Dawn! I think you saw most of these juncos while you were visiting--as a friend said, I've become a junco junkie. Seems every year about this time I write something about these beauties. eBird has gorgeous photos of the WTSP hybrid: https://ebird.org/species/x00039
Because of you I look closer at juncos! Most of ours are slate colored. I can’t really tell the differences and females vs males confuse me. Am I seeing something different or just a female?
I noticed in one of your photos that you have slate-colored juncos. Little or no difference in gray from head to body. Females tend to be lighter or with brown on back and wings. To complicate things, right now I'm getting the "cismontanous" kind of slate-colored dark-eyed junco, which has a distinct "hood" of darker gray. You may get these too since they summer in the Canadian Rockies. You should look for wing bars with the slate-colored--might be some "white-winged" dark-eyed juncos there! Never seen those here... Gotta love juncos!
All beautiful photos as always but that SECOND one, with the blurred tan background, oof. That’s especially stunning.
Thanks Bryn...yes, I often try to line up the woodshed background with the birds. Love that color.
Showing us how?
Thank you, this was wonderful.
Love the junco essay complete with excellent photos. Thanks! I did not know there have been junco X white-throated sparrow hybrids. Nice to see the WTSP is still in town!
Thanks so much Dawn! I think you saw most of these juncos while you were visiting--as a friend said, I've become a junco junkie. Seems every year about this time I write something about these beauties. eBird has gorgeous photos of the WTSP hybrid: https://ebird.org/species/x00039
I love juncos. Thank you!