We have had quite a few dark-eyed juncos in our backyard lately. They will come to the bird feeder but usually they scratch with their feet on the ground to get their food. They are very busy little birds, living up to the Spanish word “juncus” meaning “rush”.
A nickname for the junco is “snowbird”. I always thought they got this nickname because when a flock of 15 to 20 juncos take off, their white bellies look like snow. However, apparently the nickname came about because their migration time coincided with the beginning of winter in many areas.
Juncos live longer than I thought. One bird was observed 11 years after it was banded.
