Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year with the Dark-eyed Junco


Happy New Year! And what better way to start than with my frequent visitor, the Dark-eyed Junco. Known as a “snow bird” for his winter visits, the junco is actually a sparrow, albeit one dressed unusually (and more formally) in a slate-gray “tuxedo.” Most sparrows are brown and streaked. And there are actually five distinct forms of junco, the slate-colored one being shown here (photo courtesy of photographer Ken Thomas).

You can see photos of all five forms and hear the lovely trilling song of this pretty gray bird with white belly and tail feathers by visiting my favorite bird Web site http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds
Once you’ve visited All About Birds (sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology), you’ll return again and again to expand your understanding of birds.

To become a birder, you need your eyes (and binoculars!), ears, and a guide to identify the bird you see in your yard, along the roadside, in fields, woods, by water—or wherever you go. For the beginner, I’d suggest a guide that includes actual photographs of the birds rather than colored illustrations. But be sure it includes photos of both the male and female since these are mostly different in plumage. Such guides are often published by state and organized by the bird’s color, allowing you to begin the identification process without prior knowledge.

As you’ll discover, the process of identification is a discipline that must be learned. So don’t get discouraged if you can’t quickly and easily identify the birds you see. Keep on looking. You’ll learn soon enough.

Until next time . . . happy birding in the new year!

Georgia Anne

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