Juncos, Black Eyed / Slate Colored? (sorry, no pix)

[DonBo]

So, I heard on the radio this weekend to look for all the Black Eyed Juncos now in the area. I thought we had Slate Colored Juncos here. Do we have both? How would I know the difference?

[Duffman]

I'm not sure which ones they were, but they were thick in my yard on Saturday.

[JayinMN]

Donbo, they are the same bird. Dark-eyed Junco is often used to describe the whole species Junco hyemalis. "Slate Colored" a color variation of the species common to our area. There are actually 15 describes variations of the species and despite noticeable differences in pattern and color they are the same bird.

[DonBo]

Alright then, thanks for the clarification.