f you enjoyed this video please help support our channels by SHARING it with other fellow birders. It’s a great way to help TREMENDOUSLY! I appreciate each and every one of your support and I hope you enjoyed the show!
I live in the western mountains of Maine and have some seriously adorable Dark Eyed Junco’s that visit my feeder’s! I believe they are the same ones from last Winter! I also have other ‘Wintering’ birds from last Winter, such as Canadian Gray Jays, Evening Grosbeaks, American Tree Sparrows! I love them all! Who’s spirit couldn’t be lifted by watching these wonderful birds and the ‘pew, pew, pew’ is the cutest thing ever! Thank you for sharing! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I've never seen a junco outside of winter. Ever since I was a kid, my parents have nicknamed juncos "little scratchy birds" because of their habit of scratching the ground like chickens.
Mine don’t scratch! They dash across the patio and peck at the seeds under the slight layer of snow. Had a flock (at least 15 Juncos) on the patio yesterday. Yes, only see them in the winter.
As we watch them hop along the snow laden deck rails, occasionally slipping, and catching themselves before they fall, my wife or I will say, “someone should tell them they can fly”! 🤪
Juncos are not just hardy winter birds-they’re incredible at adapting to city environments, too! I watched a daddy “Oregon” Junco feeding a fledgling while I was sitting in the drive through at the bank of all places! He and his little fledgy were hopping along the side of the building in the flower bed, right next to the drive through, as if there weren’t loads of cars and all sorts of activity going on around them. They’re just wonderful little birds and I am so grateful to see them year ‘round! Thanks for another lovely video, Lesley!
I think I’ve seen House Sparrows do the same thing. When I was in DC, I saw what looked like mother House Sparrow being followed by a begging fledgling on a busy sidewalk. Very interesting.
I think I heard that they will nest with other birds right mixed in like finches and sparrows, I don't know if it's true, but they are my favorite bird these days. Plus? They clean up after the picky birds, and they are super brave 9:23
I get cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and both downy and hairy woodpeckers to my feeders in the winter, but I have to say the juncos are my favourite to watch. They're the first to arrive in the early morning, when it's barely even light out. I love watching them fan out along the snow covered ground searching for seed. So entertaining to watch.
I’ve only been on a bird journey for less than a year. I am totally hooked on the dark eyed junco. I saw so many of them below my feeder on the ground when we had a snow recently here in New Jersey. I love those little guys.
We just had the worst nor'easter in years. We kept our platform feeders out and resupplied despite 40+ mph winds. The only birds steadfastly feeding ALL DAY were the juncos. One rugged little crowd! We love 💘 them ❤
The backyard is filled with them. They're very social and seem to enjoy the company of the other birds at the feeders. It's a joy to have them here each winter.
I just looked these guys up yesterday because there were about 15 of them in my yard after I put down some black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts for our bluejay family. The pigeons, cardinals, titmouse, juncos and blue jays were all getting along on this cold winter day.
I so appreciate your videos. I'm disabled and can't go walking in the woods to see all the species you highlight. Thank you for all the work (taking footage and researching) you put into your videos!
In the winter of 2014, I watched a handful of these cute birds, in Germany!!! I have loved birds since childhood and look closely at every bird I come across, no matter where. One day I was on my way to my donkey stable outside the village. It was a harsh winter's day with lots of snow. For a moment I saw a small bird. A grey-brown, plain specimen, nothing out of the ordinary, a female sparrow was my first thought. And I'm not saying anything against sparrows - they're nice and interesting. But at that moment, I felt like it was yesterday: But at that moment, I can still feel it today as if it was yesterday, my second thought was a great wonderment about what I had really seen: a grey-brown bird with a white belly???! I always scan my mind for birds I encounter, and most of the time I have at least an idea of the bird family, often even the exact species, as I always observe the dominant features, the behaviour, the place where I met them. It's always clear what/who I'm looking at. But not at that time in December 2014 in Bavaria. I remember I had stopped my car and was trying to spot the cute little bird again. What on earth could it have been? What grey-brown bird do I know that has a white belly?' The answer was: none! I drove on, and at the stable I didn't come across a single grey-brown bird with a white belly, but about a dozen!!!I had been so excited! So amazed! I really had no idea what I was looking at! Later, with the help of Google and a good book (by Rob Hume), I found out that it was the dark-eyed junco. I felt so happy about it! I told other ornithologists about it, but nobody believed me! But I was so lucky indeed that I met my cutest, most precious, sweetest and most treasured visitors for many days, two weeks had passed before they left the area around my stable. I am grateful for every moment we were able to experience together and hope that they have settled in Bavaria since then. My very dearest Juncos!
Yep. CT Just had a New England nor Easter yesterday and I looked out at my deck and there they were...Soooo I had to go out and shovel and throw out their snacks! They stuck around thru the storm, so I had to continuously clear the deck and refresh their snacks🥰. The sun is brilliant today and the juncos are no where to be seen! I'm always happy to oblige. They're one of my favs🥰. Love their chirps😘
Awww I know your pain, we just were hit with that too. So much snow and wind. Very nice of you to go to trouble of shoveling out their snacks, so sweet. :)
They were at my feeder during the blizzard. I photographed 14 yesterday for my Cornell Project Feederwatch count. I fed at least 54 birds at minimum during the storm.
This channel has gotten me to love and appreciate birds at a level I'd never thought I would. I've always loved birds but didn't realize just how special they really are until watching this channel.
If I were to tell people, I know fersure that I have at least 6 Juncos that spent the winter here last year. They would think I'm nuts. Maybe I am. 🤪 Here's why; I moved my feeders this winter to back side of my house before the Juncos even returned. Last year I fed them on and around my deck on the front side of my house. Early on I kept seeing these 6 juncos hopping around on my deck, on the patio table and on the ground around it. I don't have any food available there anymore. They did this for a couple weeks. I had heard they came back to the same area every year, so I took upon myself to believe these were ones that visited last winter. I mean, how else would they know right? Lol! There's a smorgasbord out back and these few just kept checking my deck. 😊 Great Video and collaboration!
The juncos returned to my feeders this week!! Well, the ground under the feeders actually :) I just love the adorable look of them, and the way they scratch-hop for seed!! SOOO cute!
Dark-eyed Juncos are so cute, I have them year round, with lots more in winter. They are feasting on seeds right now, they also love to eat the seeds on the plants in garden as I don’t do fall clean up so the birds can eat the seeds. They seem to really like the perennial sunflower and black eyed Susan. They are first to come so always makes sure to have seed out before I go to bed for them in the morning and they used to be last to leave for the night. Well they don’t have far to go some live under my front porch, they fly in and out all day.
Juncos have always been one of my favorite birds- when I was young I loved watching them foraging in the snow and would often sketch them. A peaceful, beautiful delight.
Every year in Virginia, I enjoy watching the flock of dark-eyed juncos descend to my yard to eat the seeds below my crape myrtles. This year, I'm so pleased to see they found my new birdbath.
The Oregon subspecies does look like a Towhee, almost. Very interesting! I have heard of this subspecies, and have seen them in videos, but I don’t think I have seen one that looked as brown as the one in that picture seen in this video at 3:54. I still see lots of the Eastern, slate-colored subspecies since the aftermath of the recent winter storm. They’re like kids outside on a snow day. Thanks for sharing, Lesley, and stay warm!
Yes, I can totally see how someone could mistake a towhee for the Oregon subspecies. That is so cute about all your little junco buddies, they are like kids. I love them. Thanks for checking out the video. ❤🐦
Interestingly, towhees and juncos are related (both in the family Passerillidae- or the New World sparrows). I notice that both the Eastern towhee here and the slate dark-eye junco have the flash of white on the underside of their tailfeathers.
@@katydidwhat6120 Cool! 😀 I knew that the slate-colored Dark-Eyed Junco had white tips on the outer tail feathers (and that both the Junco and the Towhee are in the sparrow family), but I didn’t know that the Eastern Towhee had them, too. Thanks for the tidbit. 😎🙂
Hi Lesley.. I posted before about one of these little guys in my yard, that he looked pretty rough. I did see him the following day, but not after that. I had come to believe that a critter was the probable cause of his injuries, most likely one of the cats is the neighborhood. He did not show up the 3rd day. We had more snow by then, but a few days later it thawed a bit, and I found him frozen in the ice and snow along the fence. So sad, 😔they are one of my favourites in winter! I did what I could while he was here.. made a few trips out during the day to make sure he had food.. but I also know we can't save them all. ❤
Oh my gosh I am sorry to read that. It's heart breaking when we see one of those innocent little birds suffer. You were good to the little one and that does matter. Thanks for doing all that you could. Much love
@@LesleytheBirdNerd thank you.. ❤And thank you for all your work on these videos! I love "my" birds.. and try to keep track of who visits.. birds are such wonderful creatures!
Aw, that’s so sad! 😞 I can relate, too. A couple of months ago, I came home from work and I was replenishing and rearranging some feeders just before dusk. Along the backyard patio walkway, I saw a dead White-Throated Sparrow. I didn’t know what happened to it, but it looked like a predator mangled it a little bit and left it for dead. I carried the bird with gloves and buried it in a mound farther down in the backyard. It’s very disheartening whenever someone sees a dead bird. Not only do they have the extreme weather conditions to endure, but also predators and other hazards. It’s impossible to save them all, but we birders do the best we can. 😢🥺😔
Hello friend, I am so happy today I hand feed a little chickadee for the first time it was wonderful and it made me think of you! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for a new videos on the little junco birds. Yes, I have seen many of those on my deck on the snow. Thanks for showing the call sounds as I had no clue what sounds they make. Very informative.
I've been a birder for 30+ years and have seen many incredible birds. I have always loved these beautiful little birds. The contrast between the dark gray and "dipped" in cream white breast, and little pink beak is stunning. I love these little winter wonders.
Sooo pleased to see you working with Badgerland Birding! My two and only birding channels teaming up! That's fantastic😄 I highly recommend the Badgerland Birding channel for those who haven't seen it yet. Two great guys (brothers) who know their stuff, AND reply on their comment section. I've watched all of their and Leslie's videos! You should, too.
I KNOW for sure I am seeing the very same individuals I saw last year because they came looking for seed where I only leave it in winter (I hadn't left any there yet this year) which is very different from where I leave it in the warmer weather. Smart little birds!! They are fun to watch and I love their little "star wars" calls! They answer me when I make the call! Thanks for a great video!
Nice collaborative video! At the nature center where I work we’ve been hosting a flock of 40+ juncos! I really like how identifiable they are as they fly and flash their white outer tail feathers. That flash serves to attract mates and also to distract predators in pursuit of them.
Oh my goodness that is so many Juncos. I've never gotten that many before. WOW. Thanks for the little bit of information on their flash being a way to distract predators, I did not know that. :)
Something about big flocks is so magical. This year again I saw a migrating flock of easily over 40 Redwings (turdus iliacus) (I must say, they're easily my favourite thrush here) multiple times. It truly is breathtaking to see so much colour and movement on a calm, white winter day. Oddly enough I saw a lone individual later too, poor thing must have been kicked out.
It was cool that you had teammates for this video! LOVE these little birds. Seeing them under the bushes hopping around and scratching is one of the most enjoyable relaxing activities I can think of. Watching them just fills me with an inner calm. Thank you so much for featuring them in a video.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this video. Juncos are one of the best birds. Very fun to watch and so beautiful looking. Plus their sounds are supper adorable. 🐦❤
The girls, and I love to look for the "little tuxedo birdies!" They come, every late fall, and we watch them hopping around the deck, snatching up the millet, and seeds, that we toss out for them, the carolina wrens and the mourning doves(gosh, do I adore the mourning dove's plumage, and sound at take off).
Always a joy Leslie thanks to your two assistants! I CANNOT attract the Junkos I’ve had better luck in VA- also I’d like to hang up a Niger seed feeder but alas I’m hostage to six or seven squirrels so I tread lightly with a weight activated feeder with sunflower kernels the chicadees house sparrows downy woodpecker and flickers and nuthatches love it - but I can’t bring in the junkos I do long for them so 💕
I see these sweet little birds every winter. Back in the summer of 2020, both my sister and one of her daughters had them nesting at their houses, in western New York. One of my favorite birds.
How interesting! I live in Syracuse, NY - just to the east of what is considered Western New York. ("Central New York" for those who are unfamiliar with the various New York regions.) They are winter birds in Syracuse, so we don't see them during breeding season.
This was a great overview of the little snowbirds. Thank you Lesley and Badgerland Birding! You both captured some excellent footage! The Dark-eyed Junco has always been my mother's favorite bird. She says they look like they're wearing little coats :-) My juncos and White-throated Sparrows really love their millet and will get into some pretty bad fights over the food in the feeder. lol. It is all part of their cuteness :-)
I knew I would find information on this sweet little scavenger on your channel! I’ve been blessed by these little men these last few days as a polar vortex has blown into Alberta. Such a delight these cheeky birds are and so beautiful to see these charcoal grey blobs hopping along the snowy ground and evergreens, bossing all the other birds around. They make winter here amusing , but they must flee the north during spring because I only ever see them in the cold months. Thanks Leslie!
Every place has such wonderful (avian in this case) fauna, this is why we have to protect biodiversity; who could bear to loose such gorgeous feathered critters?! Very lovely well-rounded and informative video on this cute passerine bird from across the pond! Always a pleasure to see what unique birds exist out there, beyond the horizon :)
We started bird feeding last winter and the Juncos were here right from the start! It took a while to see them up close, I think because a dominant flock of Sparrows was trying to hoard our offerings. Eventually, the Juncos got all the way to our back deck and they are now in our top three favorites to watch! I especially enjoy the way they run like Robins will for a short way. Ours do that mostly when they are out in the open, which means not often! Thanks for all you do for the world of birds!
I just sighted these beauties outside of my home this morning, and I live near a busy street 💗 🐦 So happy to feed them, too. It was a very frigid few days!
I'd never noticed or seen these little birbs in my 40 years. I put up a couple of feeders this year and they just showed up once it got cold. It has been spectacular. Now there are at least 6 of them hanging out. Makes me feel obligated to keep the feeder full. Lovely little fluffy birds.
I love the Dark-eyed Junco so much. I usually see them in winter in my backyard. I remember when I was a kid one of them was sitting on the deck and looked me in the eye for a little bit before flying away. That along with one of my grade school teachers is the reason that I love birds so much.
I always see them every year but never knew what they were called. So, thank you for putting a name to this lovely snow bird! I enjoy seeing the flitting about!!
They are a very friendly bird. They seem to get along with all the other birds. I love to watch them. They hop around alot. They are a pretty bird. I have alot of them right now.
Juncos are my cats favourite bird to watch through the window. Probably because juncos stay on the ground a lot. I have seen they don't like when the sun is out and sometimes wait to feed until the feeder is in shade. They are also a hard bird to photograph so kudos to you guys for your great shots.
Hey there, Lesley! Great video as always. Here’s a comment about my winter birding experience so far, since I think you might be interested in a birder’s take on winter from a much more southern climate: 1. Here where I live, we’ll normally get maybe 5 days of freeze a year, and about a half inch of snow every other year. We usually average in the high 30s to mid 40s F, but it’s not unusual for us to get the odd day in the mid 60s. Even while taking walks through my local (small, paved) woods, I’m always surprised at how active the relatively warmer days are! It seems like all of the birds explode into life to take advantage of the warm temperatures. Robins, kinglets, and yellow-rumped warblers seem to materialize out of thin air to tear up the woods for food and water, and then disappear just as quickly when the weather turns cold again! 2. It’s been a great time to see waterfowl. A local church with huge ponds has recently set out dog decoys to deter waterfowl from their ponds (somewhat hypocritical I think of a church to do, but when you’re getting 40+ Canadian geese a day I guess I can’t fault them too much), which has led to an uptick in strange/unusual/new sightings at my local pond. Ring-necks, scaups, and even a wigeon have shown up obviously, and I’m sure I’m missing more visitors because of how cryptic the females can be at times. 3. We have owls in the woods! Our nest boxes are actually being used, at least as roost boxes for Eastern Screech-owls to stay out of the weather. I always wondered why owls were depicted as sticking their heads out of tree cavities, and mow I know why: because that’s how I see them, chin set happily on the edge of the box. 4. The warm days are remarkably busy! So busy that I even spotted my first Brown Thrashers. I was walking along a path when I heard something scuttling around in the leaf litter. I initially passed it off as a rabbit or something, but decided to look under the bush just because. And there it was: a streaky patch of brown staring back at me with its piercing yellow eye! They’re so fascinating. 5. As per your winter birding video, I can definitely vouch for hawks becoming more active during winter. It feels like every time I head out, the blue jays are chasing down the local Sharpies, Coopers, Red-taileds, and Red-shouldereds! I’m hoping that someday soon I can befriend the blue jays, but for now I think the Carolina Wrens like me just fine. 😄
This was so interesting! I've wonder what it's like for people to get all our summer birds when they head for warmer temps. I like your take on what you observe.
Oh my gosh you have been paying very close attention to the bird activity in your warmer location. I enjoyed reading about your observations and adventures. How lucky about the Thrashers. I've yet to see one and would love to. They are so neat looking. I hope you're successful with befriending the blue jays, maybe I'm biased but they are the best birds I've been lucky enough to know so well. I love them. But I have to say that I'm so jealous of you Carolina wren success. They are adorable and funny. Gosh I admire them and know for certain that I'd have a blast knowing them. It's funny that for you the birds are active when it is warmer and disappear when it turns cold. Its opposite for me, the birds seem to be way more active on the cold days. I guess they have to in order to keep their little furnaces going especially the smaller guys like chickadees. Thanks for your nice comment. It was a pleasure to read. 🐦❤
We enjoy hundreds of Juncos here in the coniferous forest in the mountains of New Mexico. I love their sweet pink beaks. They usually hang out with the finches and Juniper Titmouse
Lesley, I am a very enthusiastic Maine bird feeder/watcher and I have learned more from your different postings than I could have imagined. We have Juncos frequenting our feeder. Thank you for doing these. Growing up in Virginia, I have long appreciated Northern Cardinals. This year we have had Bluebirds at the feeder and I have put up several houses for them in my field. I am enjoying your videos and they are helpful in so many ways. Thank you very much. Glenn
So wonderful. I'm glad that you learned much from the videos I make. It is such a joy to share the research of so many awesome birds with others who get so much enjoyment from watching them. I am so glad that you roosting boxes going for the bluebirds. The ❤🐦
My husband and I just moved to a new place and we have a whole extended family of these little guys. They really are the first to come out in the morning. It's fun to learn more about them! Thanks for the video.
I've had feeders for years but this year I started scattering seed on my patio and its the first time I noticed these little guys! I love them so much!!
Dark-eyed Juncos are my favourite bird and we get the Oregon variety here. When we got that big dump of snow in January, while out shovelling, the Juncos and Rufus-sided Towhees followed me around as I exposed the ground under the snow. It makes snow-shovelling so much more enjoyable!
Love seeing them. They do come forge around under my feeders where the seeds have fallen. Only in mid fall to early winter. I get the slate colored ones here in east/central Texas. So beautiful!
f you enjoyed this video please help support our channels by SHARING it with other fellow birders.
It’s a great way to help TREMENDOUSLY! I appreciate each and every one of your support and I hope you enjoyed the show!
@@ahsanjavaid4588 thank you Ahsan, very kind of you. 🙂
Junko in my Trunk-o will always be my favorite bird saying. JUNKO IN MY TRUNK-O! 🐦.
I live in the western mountains of Maine and have some seriously adorable Dark Eyed Junco’s that visit my feeder’s! I believe they are the same ones from last Winter! I also have other ‘Wintering’ birds from last Winter, such as Canadian Gray Jays, Evening Grosbeaks, American Tree Sparrows! I love them all! Who’s spirit couldn’t be lifted by watching these wonderful birds and the ‘pew, pew, pew’ is the cutest thing ever! Thank you for sharing! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I love these little guys. Their little ‘junco’ shuffle when foraging is adorable.
I know, right? It looks like they are doing a little dance!
I've never seen a junco outside of winter. Ever since I was a kid, my parents have nicknamed juncos "little scratchy birds" because of their habit of scratching the ground like chickens.
Mine don’t scratch! They dash across the patio and peck at the seeds under the slight layer of snow. Had a flock (at least 15 Juncos) on the patio yesterday. Yes, only see them in the winter.
As we watch them hop along the snow laden deck rails, occasionally slipping, and catching themselves before they fall, my wife or I will say, “someone should tell them they can fly”! 🤪
Hahahah too adorable. ❤🐦
Back yard scratchers, yes for sure. People, keep your cats inside. Thanks for posting.
Juncos are not just hardy winter birds-they’re incredible at adapting to city environments, too! I watched a daddy “Oregon” Junco feeding a fledgling while I was sitting in the drive through at the bank of all places! He and his little fledgy were hopping along the side of the building in the flower bed, right next to the drive through, as if there weren’t loads of cars and all sorts of activity going on around them. They’re just wonderful little birds and I am so grateful to see them year ‘round! Thanks for another lovely video, Lesley!
I have seen them at my feeders and last summer to they nested under my deck. I love the way they hop and hold a foot up like the snow is too cold.
I've noticed that it seems to usually be papa junco teaching the babies to forage. Or at least foraging where I can see them.
I think I’ve seen House Sparrows do the same thing. When I was in DC, I saw what looked like mother House Sparrow being followed by a begging fledgling on a busy sidewalk. Very interesting.
I think I heard that they will nest with other birds right mixed in like finches and sparrows, I don't know if it's true, but they are my favorite bird these days. Plus? They clean up after the picky birds, and they are super brave 9:23
These and the Chickadees are my favorite birds! I always put plenty of seed and suet for them every winter. Well done as always!
We have two chickadees species the Chestnut-backed and the Black-capped. They are constantly shooting around in amongst the Juncos.
My two faves too!
I get cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and both downy and hairy woodpeckers to my feeders in the winter, but I have to say the juncos are my favourite to watch. They're the first to arrive in the early morning, when it's barely even light out. I love watching them fan out along the snow covered ground searching for seed. So entertaining to watch.
I’ve only been on a bird journey for less than a year. I am totally hooked on the dark eyed junco. I saw so many of them below my feeder on the ground when we had a snow recently here in New Jersey. I love those little guys.
We just had the worst nor'easter in years. We kept our platform feeders out and resupplied despite 40+ mph winds. The only birds steadfastly feeding ALL DAY were the juncos. One rugged little crowd! We love 💘 them ❤
Thier song is very underrated beautiful in late winter early spring oh how I love birds!!!!!
I totally agree!
Always enjoy their laser like sounds and watching them hop around in the snow. Watching them right now in fact.
Just moved to New England & experienced these guys for first time when snow arrived they're so neat!
I have dark eyed juncos in my yard, they are adorable to watch! You and the Sallman Bros are my favorite bird channels 🥰
I think i just spotted junkos in my backyard in Ontario, Canada! Near my cedar tree!
The backyard is filled with them. They're very social and seem to enjoy the company of the other birds at the feeders. It's a joy to have them here each winter.
Thank you Lesley, Ryan and Derek for this great video. It's always a delight to learn more about our feathered friends.
they are so cute with their round chest & little heads! 😍 I'll be putting out more ground seed for sure !
Watching this video while a group of ‘em devour my feeder. Thank you Lesley for making birding so enjoyable and informative!!
Awe how awesome. I'm so glad you have them visiting. Thanks for the comment 🐦❤
@@LesleytheBirdNerd great video 👍
I just looked these guys up yesterday because there were about 15 of them in my yard after I put down some black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts for our bluejay family. The pigeons, cardinals, titmouse, juncos and blue jays were all getting along on this cold winter day.
I so appreciate your videos. I'm disabled and can't go walking in the woods to see all the species you highlight. Thank you for all the work (taking footage and researching) you put into your videos!
You're very welcome. I am so happy that you get enjoyment from these videos. Much love. Take care ❤🐦
I love the Dark-eyed junco! I get several every winter at my feeders.
"Several"? LOL. It's the dominant bird in my yard with an average of a dozen each day here in the Pac. NW.
In the winter of 2014, I watched a handful of these cute birds, in Germany!!! I have loved birds since childhood and look closely at every bird I come across, no matter where. One day I was on my way to my donkey stable outside the village. It was a harsh winter's day with lots of snow. For a moment I saw a small bird. A grey-brown, plain specimen, nothing out of the ordinary, a female sparrow was my first thought. And I'm not saying anything against sparrows - they're nice and interesting. But at that moment, I felt like it was yesterday: But at that moment, I can still feel it today as if it was yesterday, my second thought was a great wonderment about what I had really seen: a grey-brown bird with a white belly???! I always scan my mind for birds I encounter, and most of the time I have at least an idea of the bird family, often even the exact species, as I always observe the dominant features, the behaviour, the place where I met them. It's always clear what/who I'm looking at. But not at that time in December 2014 in Bavaria. I remember I had stopped my car and was trying to spot the cute little bird again. What on earth could it have been? What grey-brown bird do I know that has a white belly?' The answer was: none! I drove on, and at the stable I didn't come across a single grey-brown bird with a white belly, but about a dozen!!!I had been so excited! So amazed! I really had no idea what I was looking at! Later, with the help of Google and a good book (by Rob Hume), I found out that it was the dark-eyed junco. I felt so happy about it! I told other ornithologists about it, but nobody believed me! But I was so lucky indeed that I met my cutest, most precious, sweetest and most treasured visitors for many days, two weeks had passed before they left the area around my stable. I am grateful for every moment we were able to experience together and hope that they have settled in Bavaria since then. My very dearest Juncos!
I have many of them in my backyard ❤️they are beautiful to watch and photograph
I have seen them . Just learned their name. Love seeing them in flight exhibiting their white tail feathers. 😊
Junco junky. I love that they are tough, they get up early, and they are brave abd trusting. They clean up around my feeders too! 💙
Yep. CT Just had a New England nor Easter yesterday and I looked out at my deck and there they were...Soooo I had to go out and shovel and throw out their snacks! They stuck around thru the storm, so I had to continuously clear the deck and refresh their snacks🥰. The sun is brilliant today and the juncos are no where to be seen! I'm always happy to oblige. They're one of my favs🥰. Love their chirps😘
Awww I know your pain, we just were hit with that too. So much snow and wind. Very nice of you to go to trouble of shoveling out their snacks, so sweet. :)
Juncos are adorable. One of my favorite winter birds. I some hopping around below the feeders at this moment.
They were at my feeder during the blizzard. I photographed 14 yesterday for my Cornell Project Feederwatch count. I fed at least 54 birds at minimum during the storm.
Same! I had SO many during the storm.
The first time I ever saw these birds, was 12 years ago. At my community college, then my house. They're are soooooooo cute
This channel has gotten me to love and appreciate birds at a level I'd never thought I would. I've always loved birds but didn't realize just how special they really are until watching this channel.
If I were to tell people, I know fersure that I have at least 6 Juncos that spent the winter here last year. They would think I'm nuts. Maybe I am. 🤪 Here's why; I moved my feeders this winter to back side of my house before the Juncos even returned. Last year I fed them on and around my deck on the front side of my house. Early on I kept seeing these 6 juncos hopping around on my deck, on the patio table and on the ground around it. I don't have any food available there anymore. They did this for a couple weeks. I had heard they came back to the same area every year, so I took upon myself to believe these were ones that visited last winter. I mean, how else would they know right? Lol! There's a smorgasbord out back and these few just kept checking my deck. 😊
Great Video and collaboration!
The juncos returned to my feeders this week!! Well, the ground under the feeders actually :) I just love the adorable look of them, and the way they scratch-hop for seed!! SOOO cute!
I like to think of them as the ground level birds. Kind of like the way some types of fish are bottom feeders.
Dark-eyed Juncos are so cute, I have them year round, with lots more in winter. They are feasting on seeds right now, they also love to eat the seeds on the plants in garden as I don’t do fall clean up so the birds can eat the seeds. They seem to really like the perennial sunflower and black eyed Susan. They are first to come so always makes sure to have seed out before I go to bed for them in the morning and they used to be last to leave for the night. Well they don’t have far to go some live under my front porch, they fly in and out all day.
Wow!! I just saw a dozen of them in the trees yesterday here in Hunterdon county New Jersey. It’s 20 degrees outside this week!
These little darlings are a delight to watch on dreary winter days - so cute!
They sure are ❤🐦
I’ve been on the look out for this winter. I might be mistaking the sub species for house finches
Juncos have always been one of my favorite birds- when I was young I loved watching them foraging in the snow and would often sketch them. A peaceful, beautiful delight.
Every year in Virginia, I enjoy watching the flock of dark-eyed juncos descend to my yard to eat the seeds below my crape myrtles. This year, I'm so pleased to see they found my new birdbath.
The Oregon subspecies does look like a Towhee, almost. Very interesting! I have heard of this subspecies, and have seen them in videos, but I don’t think I have seen one that looked as brown as the one in that picture seen in this video at 3:54. I still see lots of the Eastern, slate-colored subspecies since the aftermath of the recent winter storm. They’re like kids outside on a snow day. Thanks for sharing, Lesley, and stay warm!
Yes, I can totally see how someone could mistake a towhee for the Oregon subspecies. That is so cute about all your little junco buddies, they are like kids. I love them. Thanks for checking out the video. ❤🐦
Interestingly, towhees and juncos are related (both in the family Passerillidae- or the New World sparrows). I notice that both the Eastern towhee here and the slate dark-eye junco have the flash of white on the underside of their tailfeathers.
@@katydidwhat6120 Cool! 😀 I knew that the slate-colored Dark-Eyed Junco had white tips on the outer tail feathers (and that both the Junco and the Towhee are in the sparrow family), but I didn’t know that the Eastern Towhee had them, too. Thanks for the tidbit. 😎🙂
I loved this one. It’s great to feature members of the community. Thank you
I have about half dozen junco in my small backyard in Central Pennsylvania. I have always loved seeing these birds
Hi Lesley.. I posted before about one of these little guys in my yard, that he looked pretty rough. I did see him the following day, but not after that. I had come to believe that a critter was the probable cause of his injuries, most likely one of the cats is the neighborhood. He did not show up the 3rd day. We had more snow by then, but a few days later it thawed a bit, and I found him frozen in the ice and snow along the fence. So sad, 😔they are one of my favourites in winter! I did what I could while he was here.. made a few trips out during the day to make sure he had food.. but I also know we can't save them all. ❤
Oh my gosh I am sorry to read that. It's heart breaking when we see one of those innocent little birds suffer. You were good to the little one and that does matter. Thanks for doing all that you could. Much love
@@LesleytheBirdNerd thank you.. ❤And thank you for all your work on these videos! I love "my" birds.. and try to keep track of who visits.. birds are such wonderful creatures!
Aw, that’s so sad! 😞 I can relate, too. A couple of months ago, I came home from work and I was replenishing and rearranging some feeders just before dusk. Along the backyard patio walkway, I saw a dead White-Throated Sparrow. I didn’t know what happened to it, but it looked like a predator mangled it a little bit and left it for dead. I carried the bird with gloves and buried it in a mound farther down in the backyard. It’s very disheartening whenever someone sees a dead bird. Not only do they have the extreme weather conditions to endure, but also predators and other hazards. It’s impossible to save them all, but we birders do the best we can. 😢🥺😔
@@BirdsandGhibliFan ❤ oh my gosh.. so sorry! 😢 I love white-throats too! My favorite song to hear in spring.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan Sounds like the work of a cat "playing." It's infuriating that so many cat owners think this is no big deal.
They are definitely a delight.
Just saw some junior in my cedar tree outside my window. Thank for geat video and information ❤
Hello friend, I am so happy today I hand feed a little chickadee for the first time it was wonderful and it made me think of you! Keep up the great work!
I love the pink bill! And they will get pretty close to you if you don't move.
Thanks for a new videos on the little junco birds. Yes, I have seen many of those on my deck on the snow. Thanks for showing the call sounds as I had no clue what sounds they make. Very informative.
We live in Lyme and have many, many Junco’s right now. They’re such a joy to watch as they feed and interact with one another.
I've been a birder for 30+ years and have seen many incredible birds. I have always loved these beautiful little birds. The contrast between the dark gray and "dipped" in cream white breast, and little pink beak is stunning. I love these little winter wonders.
I love my Juncos. They have a hiding spot where they feel safe around my home. They make me happy.
Sooo pleased to see you working with Badgerland Birding! My two and only birding channels teaming up! That's fantastic😄 I highly recommend the Badgerland Birding channel for those who haven't seen it yet. Two great guys (brothers) who know their stuff, AND reply on their comment section. I've watched all of their and Leslie's videos! You should, too.
I KNOW for sure I am seeing the very same individuals I saw last year because they came looking for seed where I only leave it in winter (I hadn't left any there yet this year) which is very different from where I leave it in the warmer weather. Smart little birds!! They are fun to watch and I love their little "star wars" calls! They answer me when I make the call! Thanks for a great video!
Excellent video, looks like they give the Black Cap Chickadee competition for winter hardiness
The Juncos are one of my favorite most entertaining birds to watch in the backyard. Tough, spunky, sweet little birds 😊
Yes they are!
@@LesleytheBirdNerd I want to see one😔so bad 😞
I have many dark-eyes juncos near my Wisconsin town! Both by my home and by my work.
Nice collaborative video! At the nature center where I work we’ve been hosting a flock of 40+ juncos! I really like how identifiable they are as they fly and flash their white outer tail feathers. That flash serves to attract mates and also to distract predators in pursuit of them.
Oh my goodness that is so many Juncos. I've never gotten that many before. WOW. Thanks for the little bit of information on their flash being a way to distract predators, I did not know that. :)
Something about big flocks is so magical. This year again I saw a migrating flock of easily over 40 Redwings (turdus iliacus) (I must say, they're easily my favourite thrush here) multiple times. It truly is breathtaking to see so much colour and movement on a calm, white winter day.
Oddly enough I saw a lone individual later too, poor thing must have been kicked out.
Just had 8 Junkos out on my porch this morning ☺️ They’re definitely the most common birds coming for seeds around me in CT
It was cool that you had teammates for this video!
LOVE these little birds. Seeing them under the bushes hopping around and scratching is one of the most enjoyable relaxing activities I can think of. Watching them just fills me with an inner calm. Thank you so much for featuring them in a video.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this video. Juncos are one of the best birds. Very fun to watch and so beautiful looking. Plus their sounds are supper adorable. 🐦❤
@@LesleytheBirdNerd I enjoyed this video 😊
The girls, and I love to look for the "little tuxedo birdies!" They come, every late fall, and we watch them hopping around the deck, snatching up the millet, and seeds, that we toss out for them, the carolina wrens and the mourning doves(gosh, do I adore the mourning dove's plumage, and sound at take off).
I love the juncos! Have lots right now in Ohio, so I'm making sure to keep them fed. So nice to watch out the window when it is too cold to go out.
Always a joy Leslie thanks to your two assistants! I CANNOT attract the Junkos I’ve had better luck in VA- also I’d like to hang up a Niger seed feeder but alas I’m hostage to six or seven squirrels so I tread lightly with a weight activated feeder with sunflower kernels the chicadees house sparrows downy woodpecker and flickers and nuthatches love it - but I can’t bring in the junkos I do long for them so 💕
I have been feeding a small flock of juncos this winter. They are so fun to watch, such a beautiful little bird.
I see these sweet little birds every winter. Back in the summer of 2020, both my sister and one of her daughters had them nesting at their houses, in western New York. One of my favorite birds.
How interesting! I live in Syracuse, NY - just to the east of what is considered Western New York. ("Central New York" for those who are unfamiliar with the various New York regions.) They are winter birds in Syracuse, so we don't see them during breeding season.
This was a great overview of the little snowbirds. Thank you Lesley and Badgerland Birding! You both captured some excellent footage! The Dark-eyed Junco has always been my mother's favorite bird. She says they look like they're wearing little coats :-) My juncos and White-throated Sparrows really love their millet and will get into some pretty bad fights over the food in the feeder. lol. It is all part of their cuteness :-)
I knew I would find information on this sweet little scavenger on your channel! I’ve been blessed by these little men these last few days as a polar vortex has blown into Alberta. Such a delight these cheeky birds are and so beautiful to see these charcoal grey blobs hopping along the snowy ground and evergreens, bossing all the other birds around. They make winter here amusing , but they must flee the north during spring because I only ever see them in the cold months. Thanks Leslie!
Every place has such wonderful (avian in this case) fauna, this is why we have to protect biodiversity; who could bear to loose such gorgeous feathered critters?!
Very lovely well-rounded and informative video on this cute passerine bird from across the pond! Always a pleasure to see what unique birds exist out there, beyond the horizon :)
Juncos are one my favorite birds to watch happily hopping around our feeders during winter storms. Thanks for this informative and fun to watch video.
I think I'm outside their range being in the "deep South" as I am - but these birds sure are adorable. Wonderful video and a great collaboration!
Thank you, Sonja. The range of juncos is quite wide. They are in the south over winter.
@@LesleytheBirdNerd what does mean when I see dark eyed junco in spring?
@@LesleytheBirdNerd I saw these adorable birds in spring scratching in ground
Thank you, Nerd. We have been confused by the variations. This was very helpful and fun to watch.
Love this channel.
We started bird feeding last winter and the Juncos were here right from the start! It took a while to see them up close, I think because a dominant flock of Sparrows was trying to hoard our offerings. Eventually, the Juncos got all the way to our back deck and they are now in our top three favorites to watch! I especially enjoy the way they run like Robins will for a short way. Ours do that mostly when they are out in the open, which means not often! Thanks for all you do for the world of birds!
We love watching the juncos in our yard and at our feeders. Sweet little birds!
I know they, arent they such lovely birds. ❤🐦
I just sighted these beauties outside of my home this morning, and I live near a busy street 💗 🐦
So happy to feed them, too. It was a very frigid few days!
I'd never noticed or seen these little birbs in my 40 years. I put up a couple of feeders this year and they just showed up once it got cold. It has been spectacular. Now there are at least 6 of them hanging out. Makes me feel obligated to keep the feeder full. Lovely little fluffy birds.
Always look forward to another BirdNerd video - thank you ☮🐦☮
The sweet sound of spring! Love them!
We see many Juncos over the winter months. I particularly enjoy watching them on "cleanup duty" underneath the feeders that spill over onto our deck.
I love the Dark-eyed Junco so much. I usually see them in winter in my backyard. I remember when I was a kid one of them was sitting on the deck and looked me in the eye for a little bit before flying away. That along with one of my grade school teachers is the reason that I love birds so much.
I always see them every year but never knew what they were called. So, thank you for putting a name to this lovely snow bird! I enjoy seeing the flitting about!!
They are a very friendly bird. They seem to get along with all the other birds. I love to watch them. They hop around alot. They are a pretty bird. I have alot of them right now.
I have been feeding black eyed junco's all this winter. This is the first time for me. I've been enjoying them so much.
Thxxx. I actually saw a dark eyed junior the other day.,sitting on my bird bath taking at my empty feeder.They feed below it when the seeds fallout.😂❤
Just love your channel! It adds so much joy to all who view it. Who could not believe in a creator when you view these beautiful little creatures!
Have so many of these little dudes near my pine tree in the yard. They love to hop around underneath where I spread food for them
Juncos are my cats favourite bird to watch through the window. Probably because juncos stay on the ground a lot. I have seen they don't like when the sun is out and sometimes wait to feed until the feeder is in shade. They are also a hard bird to photograph so kudos to you guys for your great shots.
They are one of my favorite species. Such happy little birds. I live in Southern Nevada, so we only see them here in winter.
Great video! We can watch juncos in our Toronto backyard from our kitchen window, and you’re right, they make winter a more pleasant season.
I only see them around my feeder when it snows, but they show up like clockwork when it does.
Beautiful. Quite a range of sounds they make for small birds. I really enjoyed this one, as always!
Yes they really do much quite a lot of differnet sounds. Such lovely birds. Thank you for checking out the video. ❤
Hey there, Lesley! Great video as always. Here’s a comment about my winter birding experience so far, since I think you might be interested in a birder’s take on winter from a much more southern climate:
1. Here where I live, we’ll normally get maybe 5 days of freeze a year, and about a half inch of snow every other year. We usually average in the high 30s to mid 40s F, but it’s not unusual for us to get the odd day in the mid 60s. Even while taking walks through my local (small, paved) woods, I’m always surprised at how active the relatively warmer days are! It seems like all of the birds explode into life to take advantage of the warm temperatures. Robins, kinglets, and yellow-rumped warblers seem to materialize out of thin air to tear up the woods for food and water, and then disappear just as quickly when the weather turns cold again!
2. It’s been a great time to see waterfowl. A local church with huge ponds has recently set out dog decoys to deter waterfowl from their ponds (somewhat hypocritical I think of a church to do, but when you’re getting 40+ Canadian geese a day I guess I can’t fault them too much), which has led to an uptick in strange/unusual/new sightings at my local pond. Ring-necks, scaups, and even a wigeon have shown up obviously, and I’m sure I’m missing more visitors because of how cryptic the females can be at times.
3. We have owls in the woods! Our nest boxes are actually being used, at least as roost boxes for Eastern Screech-owls to stay out of the weather. I always wondered why owls were depicted as sticking their heads out of tree cavities, and mow I know why: because that’s how I see them, chin set happily on the edge of the box.
4. The warm days are remarkably busy! So busy that I even spotted my first Brown Thrashers. I was walking along a path when I heard something scuttling around in the leaf litter. I initially passed it off as a rabbit or something, but decided to look under the bush just because. And there it was: a streaky patch of brown staring back at me with its piercing yellow eye! They’re so fascinating.
5. As per your winter birding video, I can definitely vouch for hawks becoming more active during winter. It feels like every time I head out, the blue jays are chasing down the local Sharpies, Coopers, Red-taileds, and Red-shouldereds! I’m hoping that someday soon I can befriend the blue jays, but for now I think the Carolina Wrens like me just fine. 😄
This was so interesting! I've wonder what it's like for people to get all our summer birds when they head for warmer temps. I like your take on what you observe.
Oh my gosh you have been paying very close attention to the bird activity in your warmer location. I enjoyed reading about your observations and adventures. How lucky about the Thrashers. I've yet to see one and would love to. They are so neat looking. I hope you're successful with befriending the blue jays, maybe I'm biased but they are the best birds I've been lucky enough to know so well. I love them. But I have to say that I'm so jealous of you Carolina wren success. They are adorable and funny. Gosh I admire them and know for certain that I'd have a blast knowing them. It's funny that for you the birds are active when it is warmer and disappear when it turns cold. Its opposite for me, the birds seem to be way more active on the cold days. I guess they have to in order to keep their little furnaces going especially the smaller guys like chickadees.
Thanks for your nice comment. It was a pleasure to read. 🐦❤
We enjoy hundreds of Juncos here in the coniferous forest in the mountains of New Mexico. I love their sweet pink beaks. They usually hang out with the finches and Juniper Titmouse
Lesley, I am a very enthusiastic Maine bird feeder/watcher and I have learned more from your different postings than I could have imagined. We have Juncos frequenting our feeder. Thank you for doing these. Growing up in Virginia, I have long appreciated Northern Cardinals. This year we have had Bluebirds at the feeder and I have put up several houses for them in my field. I am enjoying your videos and they are helpful in so many ways. Thank you very much. Glenn
So wonderful. I'm glad that you learned much from the videos I make. It is such a joy to share the research of so many awesome birds with others who get so much enjoyment from watching them. I am so glad that you roosting boxes going for the bluebirds. The ❤🐦
Here in Vermont we have lots of dark slate Juncos. I call them little penguins. I love watching them every day out my dining room window.
My husband and I just moved to a new place and we have a whole extended family of these little guys. They really are the first to come out in the morning. It's fun to learn more about them! Thanks for the video.
Juncos are here at my residence in Tn. Year round.
I love our resident Juncos 🥰 during the snow storm the other day, I got a cute picture of one taking shelter under our porch
Aww so sweet
They are some of my favorites! Always keep me company at my feeders on those long winter days
I've had feeders for years but this year I started scattering seed on my patio and its the first time I noticed these little guys! I love them so much!!
Dark-eyed Juncos are my favourite bird and we get the Oregon variety here. When we got that big dump of snow in January, while out shovelling, the Juncos and Rufus-sided Towhees followed me around as I exposed the ground under the snow. It makes snow-shovelling so much more enjoyable!
Love seeing them. They do come forge around under my feeders where the seeds have fallen. Only in mid fall to early winter. I get the slate colored ones here in east/central Texas. So beautiful!
They are SO CUTEEEE!! I love seeing them in the winter. They're extra fluffy and cute when its cold out lol
I know they are so cute in winter haha 🥰🐦