Wildlife Wednesday 11/05/2025

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It’s that time of the year! That time of year when Ohio gets a chill in the air and enjoys the arrival of large flocks of the “snowbird,” also known as the Dark-eyed Junco.

These cute sparrows with pink bills and long tails with flashy white outer-tail feathers are an abundant winter visitor to our area. While they breed in coniferous forests in Canada, the Appalachians, and the western USA, during the winter they prefer open woodlands, fields, and backyards throughout the eastern states.

A favorite among birdwatchers, Dark-eyed Juncos are not particularly shy and will bounce around bird feeders looking for seeds. They feed primarily on the ground, hopping and scratching at leaf litter and kicking through snow to find food. They are extremely cold-tolerant little balls of fluff, with densely packed down feathers. They form large groups, often with other sparrows and songbirds. The more the merrier, and a flock of juncos is sometimes referred to as a blizzard!

The wildlife observation area inside TWC’s Nature Center is the perfect place to see juncos and other birds. Our feeders are stocked daily with various seeds, nuts, and suet and can be easily observed from a comfy chair next to the large viewing windows. Join us Thursday and Friday mornings beginning tomorrow and continuing throughout the winter months as we participate in the Cornel Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch, a citizen science bird survey. A quick and easy orientation will be offered on the data collection process and a naturalist will be available for birding id questions!