Did you know? Audubon tells us there are six groups of dark eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis, in America; a bird John James Audubon called the "snowbird" because they appear in the eastern US with the first snow fall. US Person enjoys seeing the Oregon variety in his yard, [photo] made conspicuous by its black cap and ruddy sides. This group exhibits the most variation in feather color with lighter coloration in the interior and southern parts of its range, and some aficionados argue for a separate species. Oregon juncos spotted by US Person have darker colors than the photo suggests.
Up until the 1970's the different varieties shown in the chart below were considered different species, but more recent genetic research shows that juncos are undergoing speciation in real time. Regional varieties will mate and reproduce where the ranges overlap, but they are on their way to becoming separate species according to a junco expert who has studied the birds for forty-five years. All the juncos nest on the ground and hop around feeding on bugs and seeds. Their songs differ slightly, like a regional accent. Genetic research suggests that juncos evolved from from the yellow eyed specie that moved north from Mexico at the end of the Ice Age, 13,000 years ago.
