The TOS handbook of Texas birds. Range: High mountains of Chiapas (southeast Mexico) and Guatemala. Please note: Any content published on this site is commentary or opinion, and is protected under Free Speech. Eastern vs. Western Junco Species Depending on where you live, your juncos may look different. A field guide to western birds’ nests. Described as snapping, twittering or fast trills that are reminiscent of the rattling of small ball bearings. They expansive range stretches across most of North America - the subarctic taiga in the north through the United States to the high altitude mountain forests in Mexico and Central America. Like most sparrows, the Northern Junco will eat a wide variety of foods. Eggs are incubated by the female for just under two weeks. Range: High mountains of Baja California Sur, Range: Mountains of southern Mexico (interior of Chiapas), Range: Guadalupe Island off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico. Oxford University Press, New York. The breeding season of the Red-backed Junco in the Guadalupe Mountains extends from mid-April to mid-August (young birds in a nest as late as August 5).. Click for a hub of Extension resources related to the current COVID-19 situation. The remaining forms breed from southwestern Canada south through the western United States to southern California, Arizona and New Mexico. Near human habitations juncos may also build their nests in the crawl spaces underneath buildings or even inside the buildings themselves or on window ledges. Depending on their range, they can be found in subarctic taiga (boreal forests) and high altitude mountain forests; but may also be seen in fields, parks and backyards. The species' Latin name "hyemalis" translates into "winter;" and the genus name, Junco, roughly means "bird of bushes or reeds" - referring to their preferred habitats. Range: High mountains of Mexico, southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. This race is resident in the Trans-Pecos region (Oberholser 1974, Lockwood and Freeman 2004). Red-backed Juncos breed in the Guadalupe Mountains from 2100 to 2650 m (7000 to 8700 ft) in pine-Douglas fir forests (Oberholser 1974). 2005. of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences So it is not as attractive to Brown-headed Cowbirds and House Sparrows, if you'd rather not feed those two species. Both male and female, though, will very vigorously defend their nest and nestlings. Dark-eyed Junco is an uncommon to abundant migrant and winter resident across the northern two-thirds of Texas. All four of these subspecies winter in Texas along with two other forms, the Pink-sided and Red-backed juncos (Oberholser 1974, Am, Ornithol. The incubation period is 12-13 days and nestlings fledge 9-12 days after hatching and feed themselves 2 weeks after leaving the nest. Two successful clutches may be raised in one season. View Terms of Use. document.write('Web Coordinator' + '' + '

'); Oberholser, H. C. 1974. Scientific Name: Please Note: The articles or images on this page are the sole property of the authors or photographers. The plumage ranges in color from various shades of grey to grey-brown, with conspicuous white outer tail feathers, and either a grey or blackish head. Dark-eyed Junco (. It is about 40% sunflower seeds of various types in order to attract the widest variety of birds. Junco hyemalis. The female selects a nest site almost always on the ground, a natural cavity in the soil or among rocks, often hidden from view by overhanging vegetation or rocks. Dark-eyed Junco is a complex taxon of identifiable forms, groups and subspecies. 2005). They have short, triangular beaks and dark eyes. These relatively modest trends are an encouraging sign for the future of Dark-eyed Juncos in Texas.