[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

Except for the pink bill, white belly, and white outer tail feathers, the Dark-eyed Junco has a considerable amount of variation in its plumage across its wide range (throughout Canada and much of the US). Each of these plumage variations was formerly considered a separate species. The birds in the east were called Slate-colored Juncos. They are a dark, slate-color above and on the upper breast and throat. The birds along the edges of western coniferous forests were called Pink-sided Juncos. They have a light gray head, throat, and upper breast, with a brownish wash on the back and light salmon along the sides. The birds of the moist western coniferous forests were called Oregon Juncos. They have a dark head, throat, and upper breast, but are a chestnut-brown color on the back, with a wash of lighter brown along the sides. Birds in the Rocky Mountains were called Gray-headed Juncos. They look like a cross between the Slate-colored and Oregon Juncos, having a lighter gray head, throat, and upper breast, with a brownish back. A very small population of White-winged Juncos in the Black Hills of western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming are like the Slate-colored Juncos, but show faint white wingbars. The bird pictured is a Pink-sided Junco. This "Pink-sided" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at Florey Park, Andrews County, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: November 29, 2007)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Pink-sided" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at Florey Park, Andrews County, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: November 29, 2007)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

Except for the pink bill, white belly, and white outer tail feathers, the Dark-eyed Junco has a considerable amount of variation in its plumage across its wide range (throughout Canada and much of the US). Each of these plumage variations was formerly considered a separate species. The birds in the east were called Slate-colored Juncos. They are a dark, slate-color above and on the upper breast and throat. The birds along the edges of western coniferous forests were called Pink-sided Juncos. They have a light gray head, throat, and upper breast, with a brownish wash on the back and light salmon along the sides. The birds of the moist western coniferous forests were called Oregon Juncos. They have a dark head, throat, and upper breast, but are a chestnut-brown color on the back, with a wash of lighter brown along the sides. Birds in the Rocky Mountains were called Gray-headed Juncos. They look like a cross between the Slate-colored and Oregon Juncos, having a lighter gray head, throat, and upper breast, with a brownish back. A very small population of White-winged Juncos in the Black Hills of western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming are like the Slate-colored Juncos, but show faint white wingbars. The bird pictured is a Slate-colored Junco. This one was photographed near a feeder in central New Jersey. Photo taken with a Celestron 750mm f5.6 Mirror lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: April 1976)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed during winter along the central New Jersey Coast. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: November 1983)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 10 in.]

This Yellow-eyed Junco was photographed on Mt. Lemmon near Tucson, Arizona. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1985)

[Length 6 in. Wingspan 10.5 in.]

This male Chestnut-collared Longspur was photographed on the Pawnee National Grasslands in northern Colorado. Photo taken with a Nikkor 500mm f8.0 mirror lens on Ektachrome 800 film. (Date: May 1986)

[Length 6 in. Wingspan 10.5 in.]

This male Chestnut-collared Longspur springing into flight was photographed on the Pawnee National Grasslands in northern Colorado. Photo taken with a Nikkor 500mm f8.0 mirror lens on Ektachrome 800 film. (Date: May 1986)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 11.5 in.]

The male Lapland Longspur is distinctive with his black head and breast, white eyestripe that extends down the side of the head and onto the breast, and chestnut collar. Females are streaky brown sparrow-like birds. Lapland Longspurs breed in the high Arctic regions across Europe, Asia, and North America. In North America they breed over most of Alaska and the far northern regions of Canada. They winter in far southern Canada and most of the US except the far southeastern states, the desert southwest, and most of the west coast states. This male Lapland Longspur was photographed on Attu Island, Alaska. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1988)