For the past 8-9 years we’ve had a Slate-colored, Dark-eyed junco spend the winter with us.  I seriously doubt that it has been the same bird, but it seems curious that we keep having a single bird.  On some occasions I’ve thought that I might have seen two, but for the most part it’s been a single bird.

A few blog posts ago I showed our Slate-colored junco and I’m quite sure about that identification.  Not only is its appearance substantially different from the other Oregon juncos, but its behavior is different also.  And it doesn’t mix well with the other juncos… it feeds apart and doesn’t stay in the yard as long.  For reference purposes I’m showing the Slate-colored junco below which was featured in my blog some time ago.

There is a wide variety of difference in plumage coloring for the Oregon race of Dark-eyed juncos.  The birds with the darker (black) heads and cowls are probably males and the lighter colored juncos are probably females and first year birds, but there is an entire continuum with regard to the plumage.  The photo below is what I might consider is an average male.  Note all the brown plumage, both on the bird’s sides and back.

This bird below (it’s the same bird in both photos) neither fits neatly into the Slate-colored nor the Oregon race of juncos.  Earlier this winter I thought that it might be a female Slate-colored junco, but I’m just not sure.  It definitely stands out from all the other Oregon juncos.