Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) are common here in winter, yet they can be confusing. There are five varieties of the bird in this country, ours being the Northeast subspecies known as the “Slate-Colored Junco.”
Scientists consider Juncos to be sparrows, but some birders insist that they’re finches. No one seems to know what “Junco” means in Latin or any other language, except Spanish in which it is the name of a plant that Juncos don’t go near.
Some old-timers call them “Snowbirds” due to their apparent sudden appearance with the first snows of winter. According to one myth, they even cause that snow.
But, many Juncos are here all year in the form of indistinguishable single or double gray blurs that exist on and near the ground. It’s when it snows that Juncos stand out; they also form into more visible feeding flocks in the winter, apparently as a defensive measure during the leafless season – more eyes and ears to spot predators.
(Brooklin, Maine)