Junco Indentification

[JMCDA]

Hi All - this is my first post to the forum, glad to have found you!

Our usual winter flock of dark eyed Junco's decamped shortly after the heavy snows hit in mid December, and I never saw a one until the milder weather right after Christmas when a couple of pairs arrived at our feeders. Both my husband and I thought this one had unusual colouring, quite distinctive compared to our usual crowd...could this be either a Pink sided or Oregon Junco that has made its way to SW Ontario?

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmcda/3197627202/


TIA

Joann

[Craig McL]

I think its a first winter female Oregon Junco ..

if you have the book Sparrows of the United states and Canada by James D Rising
and illustrated by David D Beadle its showin on plate 21 # 48q

nice photo also !!!

Craig

[qmnonic]

You can look here for identification too:

Dark-eyed Junco - All About Birds

[JMCDA]

Thanks Craig and qmnonic, we knew it had to be one or the other but couldn't make up our mind which it would be. Although we have many, many ref guides and looked at various on-line resources, it is still helpful sometimes to get a second opinion!  I might have to pick up a copy of that book Craig, we seem to get a good variety of native sparrows stopping in during spring and fall migrations.

J