Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
   
 
Narrative and Science Lens
 
Juncos from different areas differ in appearance. Those in the eastern U.S., where Audubon painted, have a grey hood and wings, while those here have a blackish hood and rusty wings. All have white outer tail feathers, which they flick, a trait that catches our attention and makes them easy to spot--even without binoculars.

Mostly, though, there are simply a lot of these birds to notice. It wasn’t always that way here on campus: In 1990 they nested no closer than the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Since then, these adaptive birds have expanded into the flatlands, becoming numerous.

Why has this expansion occurred, and so suddenly? Habitat on the campus hasn’t changed. In fact, on campus and in other lowland areas, this species is most often associated with non-native ivy, which has long been here. Have the birds simply adapted to the use of these non-native plants, adapted to areas of higher human use, or both?
  General reports of the species indicate that over its two-year lifespan a typical male fledges six young, but only a small percent survive long enough to breed. Why is such a numerous bird so short-lived? Researchers at Indiana University discuss this rapidly evolving bird and its adaptability in an 88-minute documentary. See Science, below.
 
  Campus Locations
Found throughout the campus. Breeding birds nest mostly in dense ground cover, especially mats of ivy and other vines planted around buildings and courtyards, although the choice of nesting cover may be more diverse in woodland and scrub habitats near the Dish and in the faculty housing area. From fall through spring, flocks (sometimes fairly large in the Arboretum) occur virtually throughout campus.

  Sustainability
  Are these increasingly numerous birds out-competing other small woodland species? They have been observed, for example, dominating Chestnut-backed Chickadees at feeders, but since these birds feed on insects during breeding season, the competition may be limited.
       What you can do
       1. Find out if these birds would make a good case study for some of the effects of climate change.
       2. Find out what effects their apparent increase in number is having on other campus woodland birds, like chickadees.
       3. In winter, keep your eye out for Dark-eyed Junco flocks that include races that breed in areas far northeast of California, such as the all-gray “Slate-colored Junco”, among the dark-hooded, rusty-winged “Oregon Juncos” that breed locally.
       4. Watch Indiana University's 88-minute movie "Ordinary Extraordinary Junco"; host a free screening of it--or parts of it--to show those new to avian biology.
 
  Science
       Essays from The Birder’s Handbook:
            Eye Color; Walking vs. Hopping; Dominance Hierarchies; Taxonomy and Nomenclature

       References:
          Balph, 1979; Ketterson and Nolan, 1982; Smith and Andersen, 1982.
       Videos:
          "Ordinary Extraordinary Junco"--88-minute coverage by Indiana University
  Art
       Photos:
            
       Drawings and Paintings:
 

          Darryl Wheye: Dark-eyed Junco, after Audubon--Ivy Hiding a Nest

  To add to the Science or Art links, submit bird sightings, comment on the exhibit or the web presentation, or ask questions, please use the web forms on the Art at Exits home page.