Very unusual junco.

[cairnstone]

Is this a very colourful Slate-coloured Junco with blue eyes? It was hanging around my backyard yesterday. I've never seen one quite like this.

[Paul O'Toole]

Here is a good link for IDing this species.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/dark-eyed-junco/

[thouc]

I guess you discovered a new species, the Blue-eyed Junco  :shock:

On the serious side, the body-colour falls within the range of Slate-coloured I think, and the eye-colour is probably a rare variant/mutation. I was able to find one other picture of a junco with blue eyes online.

/Thomas

[cairnstone]

Thanks for the replies Paul and Thomas. I am a bit disappointed. I was hoping I had discovered a new subspecies...Sinatra-eyed Junco.

[Howieh]

Thanks for the replies Paul and Thomas. I am a bit disappointed. I was hoping I had discovered a new subspecies...Sinatra-eyed Junco.

I think I also had one in my back yard a few days ago, in fact I'm sure it's song sounded like "My Way"!

[Rotarran]

Wow a blue-eyed Junco, that's really cool.

[Walter Fisher]

Just a thought,

Would there have been something white or light blue to the back right of where you were standing when you took the shot?  It could just be a reflection in it's eye.  There seems to be the same colour blue on it's white breast/belly feathers directly below it's eye.  All other feathers are white in that area.

Walter

[Rotarran]

Just a thought,

Would there have been something white or light blue to the back right of where you were standing when you took the shot?  It could just be a reflection in it's eye.  There seems to be the same colour blue on it's white breast/belly feathers directly below it's eye.  All other feathers are white in that area.

Walter

That is an interesting hypothesis Walter.  But if that were the case, why would the bird's pupil still be black?

[cairnstone]

I saw this junco the day after the picture I posted above. It most certainly has two blue eyes. I believe it is still around (I haven't had much time in daylight for feeder watching the last few days), but if it is still around I will snap another picture.

[Paul O'Toole]

The eyes could actually be a light grey but with sunlight refracting of them cause it too look somewhat blue. Just a thought, not positive on this but sometime to think about.