The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the easiest forest birds to get to know. It is a small sparrow that spends much of its time hopping and running on the ground, scratching through leaves, needles and even snow for seeds and insects. When it flies up, it flashes bright white outer tail feathers, and members of a flock read that flash as an alarm.
Juncos come in several color forms across North America, and until 1973 some of them were treated as separate species. The form most people see in the Northwest is the Oregon Junco. Males have a black hood, a brown back and rusty sides, with a white belly and a pale pink bill. Females are similar but have a gray hood. In nesting season, listen for the male’s song, a ringing, metallic trill on one pitch, sung from a high perch.
Juncos nest on the ground, hiding a cup of grass and moss under a log, a rock, an overhanging bank or exposed roots. In summer close to half of what adults eat is insects, while in winter they live mostly on seeds. Many shift downhill or south when snow covers the high forest, gathering in flocks at forest edges, along roadsides and under backyard feeders.
How to identify it
A sparrow-sized bird about 6 inches long with a pale pinkish bill and bright white outer tail feathers. The Oregon form has a black (male) or gray (female) hood, a brown back, rusty or buff sides and a white belly. Young birds are streaky brown at first.
Look-alikes
Spotted Towhee also has a dark hood and chestnut sides, but it has a red eye, white spots on its wings and back, and white corners on its long tail.
Habitat
Breeds in conifer and mixed forest, especially moist forest with openings, edges and dense understory. In winter it moves into open woods, brushy areas, roadsides and towns, and leaves the highest, snowiest forest.
Sightings in the forest
227 research-grade sightings in Mt. Hood National Forest on iNaturalist, most recently on October 31, 2026. See them on iNaturalist →