Junco hyemalis

Plumage details vary considerably throughout the range, but the following is broadly applicable. Adults lack streaks and typically have dark eyes and a gray to black (sometimes tinged brown) hood over the head and breast, a white belly, and conspicuous white outer tail-feathers on an otherwise dark tail. Typically the bill is pinkish (or bluish, grayish, or bicolored). Males and females are similar but females in some subspecies average paler and browner than males. The appearance changes little throughout the year. Juveniles generally resemble the overall adult plumage pattern but are browner in color, often with a buffy undertone on the breast, and the adult pattern is largely obscured by coarse streaking on the head, back, and underparts. The eyes of juveniles are grayish, and some juveniles have pale wing-bars.

Habitats include various sorts of coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forest; forest edge; forest clearings; bogs; open woodland; brushy areas adjacent to forest; and burned-over lands. In migration and winter the species occurs in a wide range of openly wooded and brushy and grassy habitats (AOU 1998). Nests are in scrapes on the ground and usually are concealed by logs, rocks, tree roots, leaves, or ground vegetation.

In most areas, nesting occurs from April to as late as August, but earlier nesting may occur in southern lowland areas and fledging may sometime extend into September. Clutch size usually is 3-5. Incubation lasts about 11-12 days. Both parents feed nestling and newly fledged young.