Male: Black hood and reddish-brown back, whitish belly, pale bill, dark eyes, tail dark with conspicuous white outer feathers.

Female: Same as male with a gray or tan hood rather than black

Nesting:

Cuplike nest of grasses, moss, pine needles, placed in depression in ground near tall vegetation. Male and female both build. Two broods a year. 3-6 eggs, gray or pale bluish with dark blotches.

Feeding:

Feeds mostly on ground, eating weed and grass seeds, insects, berries. At feeders, very versatile eater. Prefers to eat on ground or ground trays. Favorite seed is white proso millet, also eats black sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, suet and nuts. Often seen in large flocks feeding under feeders.

RECOMMENDED ROGUE SEED:

Rogue Deluxe, Rogue Select, or Rogue Dove and Quail. Shop Wild Bird Food.

RECOMMENDED FEEDERS:

Ground trays. Shop Wild Bird Feeders.

Habitat:

Common year-round resident in Oregon, migrating between elevations. Spends the winters in foothills and on valley floor, returning to higher elevations to nest in a wide variety of wooded habitats in April and May.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS:

Juncos adhere to a strict social hierarchy, with dominant birds chasing the less dominant birds. Aggression at feeders is due to this hierarchy. Look for its white outer tail feathers flashing as a white “V” in flight.

COMPARE TO:

Rarely confused with any other bird feeding under feeders. Easily distinguished by the dark hood.

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