The signs of fall can be vivid such as the changing color of leaves on the trees to bright reds, oranges and yellows and the drop in temperatures or they can be more subtle, for instance, seeing birds I don’t normally see in the Salt Lake Valley during the summer, among those species of birds I look for in the autumn are the Dark-eyed Juncos.
Female/Immature Dark-eyed Junco – Oreganus Group – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I see Dark-eyed Juncos during their breeding season in the high country of the Wasatch and Uinta mountains but I don’t see them in the lower elevations during that period of time although with the approach of fall and impending winter I know that I can expect to see them more often now. Back in Virginia I didn’t see Dark-eyed Juncos (Slate Colored) until just before the first snowfall and we called them “snow birds” because with their arrival we knew that snow would soon follow. That isn’t the case here in Utah but I am still fond of calling them “snow birds” because that name has stuck in my mind.
Three days ago I was able to photograph a female or immature Dark-eyed Junco of the Oreganus Group when it flew in and landed not too far away from me and I have to admit that seeing it excited me because I enjoy these birds so much. At this time of the year I would have a hard time deciding if this bird is a female or if it is a first fall male which is why I labeled it the way I did.
I’m fortunate here in Utah in that I can see Slate-colored, Pink-sided, Gray-Headed and Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos during the fall, winter and early spring. Different sources call these subspecies, races or groups but to be clear they are all Dark-eyed Juncos.
I found an interesting video from Junco Projects that explains some of the diversification of Dark-eyed Juncos and wanted to share it for those of my readers interested in this species.
I know that I am very much looking forward to seeing the Dark-eyed Juncos of Utah in the lower elevations and I also look forward to photographing them.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to view more of my Dark-eyed Junco photos plus facts and information about this species.
Nice post with very informative video with magnificent photography! I miss these birds since moving from New Mexico to Florida. Just spent two weeks in Illinois but returned too early to see them.
Absolutely fascinating. Great pics and a wonderful narrative. Thanks Mia.
Cool photo
Mia,
Thank you SO much for the video and link to the Junco Project. I’ve seen old friends and am learning what has been discovered in the past 25 years since I stopped attending ornithological conferences. Juncos are one of my favourite songbirds too. I still remember vividly the day over 60 years ago, when as an early teen discovering the nest of a Pink-sided Junco in the Cypress Hills of extreme SW Saskatchewan. My birding buddy and I were very familiar with the Slate-colored form but this was an exciting new species for us.