Farmers Weekly Review

by Nancy Kuhajda

Spring is a mere 56 days away, and as I wrote about last week, every year, sightings of the first American Robin (Turdus migratorius) are the harbinger of spring.

But did you know we have a winter weather welcoming bird, too? It is that funky, fidgety, little member of the sparrow family — the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis).

Also called the “snowbird,” dark-eyed juncos show up in Illinois as soon as it gets cold. That used to be early to mid-November, but I know it is hard to remember after the frigid spell of Mother Nature’s winter wrath we just experienced last week, but November of 2024 was a warm one.

Just like all of last year. So, why would this tiny bird come to the area for winter, when so many other wild birds are heading for warmer climes?

For a possible clue, look at their breeding range. Juncos are more northern dwellers when it comes to breeding, choosing cool summer Canada and Alaska. The dark-eyed junco clutch is 3 to 6 eggs with 1 to 3 broods per season. The females determine the nest site, which is usually in a natural depression in the ground (high rodent predation) or occasionally in a tree.

I never understood how some birds like these juncos and other ground-nesting birds like the kildeer are still here. What went wrong with evolution here? But somehow, as usual, Mother Nature knows better than Charles Darwin.

The incubation for the dark eyed junco is 12 to 13 days and the young fledge a quick 12 to 13 days after hatching. That early fledge (the ability to learn to fly and leave the nest) definitely contributes to the success of these ground nesting birds.

But in the non-breeding season, winters in Alaska and Canada are much longer, darker, colder, and rougher, typically, than Illinois winters. Although it may not seem like it to us, we have more daylight for foraging, and less severe weather — just perfect for this little cold-weather bird. To a junco, our winters are mild, so they have their warm winter vacation in our backyards.

Dark-eyed juncos are one of the most abundant forest-dwelling birds in North America. Year-round, they can be found inhabiting the coniferous and deciduous forests of the western mountains and Canada. But Cornell University dubs the dark-eyed junco “the snowbird of the middle latitudes,” because here in the middle, they flood in for winter in fairly large flocks.

In these flocks, there is a hierarchy giving preference to the earliest arrivals. During winter, dark-eyed juncos expand their habitat to include open woodlands and fields, roadsides, and on the ground birdfeeders in the home landscape.

West of the Rocky Mountains, male dark-eyed juncos are often the Oregon form with a dark brown hood, a light brown back and a white belly. East of the Rockies, including Illinois, dark-eyed juncos are the slate form, with dark grey back feathers with a darker grey (or black) hood. As with most birds, the females have a drabber coloring in muted tones of brown, tan, and white to camouflage them from predators as they sit on the nest. Beaks are light in color with a blush-pinkish tone. Their little beady black eyes seem to vanish into that dark hood of feathers.

In Northern Illinois, juncos usually tend to show up when the first flurries fly, and it is interesting that in the last two years during November and December, several calls came into the Extension office wondering just what happened to the juncos because no one had seen them yet.

The first spotting is often in mid-October. On a related note, we also fielded several calls about why hummingbirds and monarchs were still being spotted late into October. The answer is the same, the weather isn’t what it used to be. Animals and plants respond to temperature and the light/dark cycle. While nothing has changed with the light/dark cycle (except for the occasional manmade calendar hiccup of leap year), the warming of our climate cumulatively affects all living animals and plants.

There is still much to be researched and understood about what combination of factors actually signals migration. What we do know with 20/20 hindsight is that we have had one of the hottest years on record — including an unusually very warm entire month of October.

Somehow our migratory birds and insects knew more than the forecasters that we were going to have that long, warm fall and delayed their migratory yearnings. Sure enough, just before our first cold snap in late November, reports of juncos appearing at backyard feeders started coming in.

When they do arrive, you will see them hopping or flitting with a little stutter-step in leaf litter, looking for food. According to Cornell University’s All about Birds comprehensive website, dark-eyed juncos are primarily seedeaters. A majority of their diet, 75%, consists of chickweed, buckwheat and lambsquarters. In the breeding season, they add insects to their diets.

Males sing in a trill of notes that last up to 2 seconds with an amazing 7 to 23 notes, but it is quite soft, and you can’t hear it more than 40 feet. Their calls are a high short chirp that they do in rapid succession when they fly and eat, which is thought to encourage other juncos to follow. When feathers fly during aggression, you may hear a sharp “kew” sound given by the dominant bird.

But as early as February some years, it seems that the little grey birds are suddenly gone, winging their way back to their northern summer homes for breeding season in Canada and Alaska. So, as you take your winter walks on the wild side, look for this little bird of winter before they are gone.

No bird discussion — whether poultry, waterfowl, or songbirds is complete right now without a mention of avian influenza. I have had several calls from concerned bird enthusiasts worried about whether they should take down their birdfeeders in concern for their own health and the health of pets.

At this moment, Cornell University, the worldwide top research institution on all things birds, says it is fine to keep feeding the birds. Our backyard birds are songbirds, not waterfowl.

Now if you have been feeding wild ducks and geese, that should stop, as they are carriers of avian influenza. I will update you as the research scientists know more.