Where does a Dark-eyed Junco live?

How long do Juncos live?

The subspecies of dark-eyed juncos fall into five major groups: gray-headed, Oregon, pink-sided, slate-colored and white-winged. Banding records show that dark-eyed juncos can live to be 11 years old. Next, can you guess how long hummingbirds live?

Do Juncos come back in flocks in the winter?

Flocks of juncos arrive with cold snowy weather. Learn the best foods to offer at feeders and plants to grow to attract juncos and keep them coming back. Birders know winter has arrived when the dark-eyed juncos start showing up. Dark-eyed juncos reappear in many parts of the Lower 48 just as winter comes alive each year.

How do dark-eyed juncos breed?

Dark-eyed Juncos usually breed for the first time when one year old. They usually produce two broods per year, sometimes three. Nest predation is very high. Eggs and young are preyed upon by rodents in the forest. Male juncos arrive on the breeding grounds well before the females. They begin singing from tall exposed perches.

Where do dark-eyed juncos live?

Dark-eyed Juncos breed in forests across much of North America and at elevations ranging from sea level to more than 11,000 feet. They are often found in coniferous forests incuding pine, Douglas-fir, spruce, and fir, but also in deciduous forests such as aspen, cottonwood, oak, maple, and hickory.

Why do Juncos migrate at night?

Juncos migrate at night at very low altitudes and are susceptible to collisions with communication towers and other structures. Each winter flock of juncos has a dominance hierarchy with adult males at the top, then juvenile males, adult females and young females at the bottom.

Do dark eyed juncos migrate?

Dark-eyed Juncos are considered a resident or medium-distance migratory birds. All northern populations, particularly those in Canada and Alaska, migrate to the south in winter. Birds found in the Rocky mountains migrate only short distances, while other Eastern and Western populations don’t leave.

What is the lifespan of a Junco?

2) The oldest known wild Dark-eyed Junco lived to be at least eleven years old! The average lifespan for a bird that survives to fledge is about three years.

What kind of birds are in flocks in winter?

Treetop flocks led by chickadees represent only one kind of mixed winter flock. There are also mixed flocks of seed-eating birds that live close to the ground, often including dark-eyed juncos, American tree sparrows, white-throated sparrows, white-crowned sparrows and others.

What is the breeding record for the dark-eyed junco?

A Breeding Record of the Dark-Eyed Junco on Santa Catalina Island California USA. Western Birds. vol. 18, no. 2. pp. 129–130. Polder JJW & Voous KH. (1969). Capture of Slate-Colored Junco Junco-Hyemalis in the Netherlands.

How many Junco birds are there in North America?

Partners in Flight, a bird conservation cooperative, estimates 260 million junco birds live in North America, which ranks them second only to robins. Another recent estimate put their population at 630 million, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Maybe it’s a case of hiding in plain view.

How long do dark eyed juncos stay with their parents?

Parents accompany and feed the fledglings for about 3 weeks before they are on their own. The juvenile plumage lasts 2 to 3 months before they molt into an adult-like plumage. Newer bird watchers aren’t fooled very long by the sparrow-like plumage of juvenile Dark-eyed Juncos.

What are the different types of dark-eyed juncos?

The subspecies of dark-eyed juncos fall into five major groups: gray-headed, Oregon, pink-sided, slate-colored and white-winged. Banding records show that dark-eyed juncos can live to be 11 years old.

What are the Predators of a Juncos?

Rodents such as chipmunks and deer mice are probably the major predators on the eggs of juncos. The longevity records for juncos are: White-winged – 7.5 years; Slate-colored – 11 years, 4 months; Oregon – 9 years, 9 months; Gray-headed – 10 years, 8 months.

What are the characteristics of a Juncos?

In flight, they flap continuously and pump their tails so the white outer tail feathers flash; flight is very agile as the bird maneuvers through its tangled environs. Male juncos are very territorial in summer, chasing off intruders in rapid flights accompanied by excited call notes.

What do Juncos do in winter?

During winter, Dark-eyed Juncos form fairly large flocks, and where wintering ranges overlap you may find several subspecies in a single flock. Juncos also forage with other sparrows and bluebirds. Junco flocks typically have a hierarchy or pecking order, and earlier arrivals tend to rank higher in the group than later arrivals.

How do Junco birds survive the Cold?

A New Hampshire study found that junco birds spent 65 percent of their time on the ground. And to survive cold and wind, junco birds often hunker in the lower branches of ornamental shrubs and small trees by homes and buildings.

What is a Junco bird?

The cheery Dark-eyed Junco is also known as a snowbird, because it escapes cold mountains and boreal forests to gather in gray-and-brown flocks at backyard bird feeders across the Lower 48 states.

Are dark-eyed juncos in decline?

Back to top Dark-eyed Juncos are numerous and widespread, though the North American Breeding Bird Survey reports that populations declined by about 1.4% per year between 1966 and 2015, resulting in a cumulative decline of 50%.

Do Juncos migrate south for winter?

And you can’t help but appreciate that juncos flout the migration patterns of higher-profile birds. The Cornell folks call juncos the “snowbirds of the middle latitudes.” That is, they migrate south from Canada shortly before winter, but go no farther than Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York.

What is the average lifespan of a Junco?

The average lifespan of J. hyemalis is approximately 3 to 11 years. The oldest known wild dark-eyed junco lived at least 11 years 1 month. Most commonly, predation by other species (hawks, squirrels, weasels, etc.) limits their lifespan.