[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 Gray-headed Junco. This "Gray-headed" Dark-eyed Juncoi was photographed at Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=405mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: December 17, 2009)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This one was photographed in Rocky Mountain national Park in Colorado, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: July 1980)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Gray-headed" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at the mountaintop restaurant, Sandia Crest, New Mexico, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: March 3, 2008)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Gray-headed" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at Allenspark, Colorado, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: April 21, 2009)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Gray-headed" Dark-eyed Juncoi was photographed at the Davis Mountains Resort, Fort Davis, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: December 17, 2009)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) Junco was photographed at Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: October 18, 2013)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Gray Headed" Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at the Moose Visitor Center, Gould (Walden), Colorado, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: June 1, 2016)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 9.25 in.]

This "Oregon" Dark-eyed Juncoi was photographed at Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: December 17, 2009)