DARK-EYED lUNCO (junco hyemalis) 



The junco is one of the most abundant breeding birds in the two parks, 

 and its abundance seems to be related to its general adaptability. Juncos 

 are primarily birds of the open forest or of clearings in dense forests. The 

 song of the junco is a bell-like trill. As the snows begin to melt exposing 

 patches of bare ground, the trilling of the junco, and the emergence of the 

 glacier lily are harbingers of spring in the forests of Yellowstone and Grand 

 Teton. The simple, grass-lined nest of the junco is placed on the ground, 

 often under a small conifer. Distinctive field marks of this small, active, 

 ground-dwelling species are its light pink bill, gray or black hood, and 

 white outer tail feathers. There are several races of juncos, and hybridi- 

 zation is common. 



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