Hello there, little snowbird
Daniel Curnow took this photo of a Dark-eyed Junco in Golden Hills.
Dark-eyed Juncos
( Junco hyemalis) are the snowbirds mentioned in the Anne Murray song “Snowbird,” when she says “The snowbird sings the song he always sings, and speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring.”
Juncos get the nickname “snowbird” because they appear at lower elevations and more southerly locations in late fall and early winter, during the months when snow arrives.
They will remain there until spring, and then they retreat to higher elevations or more northerly locales.
In some areas, Juncos disappear entirely in the warmer months, but they can still be found in higher elevations at the Tehachapi Mountains, like in the vicinity of Tehachapi Mountain Park or up on Bear Mountain.
Dark-eyed Juncos often come to bird feeders, and they seem to prefer the smaller millet seed to larger sunflower seeds. Juncos, which are a type of sparrow, typically move across the ground by hopping rather than walking.
They scratch around for seeds, for they are primarily seed eaters, though like many songbirds they will turn insectivorous when feeding hungry nestlings that need a protein-rich diet.
There is a tremendous difference in the appearance of Juncos in different parts of the United States, but the ones that become abundant around Tehachapi during the winter months tend to be grayish overall with faint fawn coloring on their bellies, brown backs and wings, and dark heads.
A noticeable field mark is their white outer tail feathers, which frequently open and flash a small white bar on either side of their tail as they fly.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, submit
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