General

Yellow-eyed Junco: Medium-sized sparrow with rufous back and upperwings, pale gray rump and head, and pale gray underparts. Bright yellow eyes contrast with dark face. Belly is white; tail is dark gray with white outer tail feathers. Bill has black upper mandible and pink lower mandible. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has brown eye; back, breast, and flanks are finely streaked.

Range and Habitat

Yellow-eyed Junco: Resident in mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Preferred habitats include coniferous forests and pine-oak woods.

Breeding and Nesting

Yellow-eyed Junco: Three to five pale gray to blue eggs marked with red brown are laid in a nest made of dried grass with a lining of fine grass and mammal hair. Female incubates eggs for 15 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Yellow-eyed Junco: Eats insects, seeds, berries, fruits, and flowers; forages on the ground, often by scratching.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn, Peanuts, Nut Meats

Vocalization

Yellow-eyed Junco: Song is a series of chips, trills, and buzzes, "weedle-weedle-weedle", "che-che-che-che-wee", often up-slurred at the end. Has a smacking call of "tseek."

Similar Species

Yellow-eyed Junco: Other juncos have dark eyes.