Dark-eyed junco

Junco hyemalis

Still haven’t taken the old Christmas tree out of the yard? Think about waiting a few more weeks, and maybe even moving it closer to your bird feeders.

Juncos, one the more common birds around feeders, love to hide in thick cover such as cedars and even homemade brush piles. As well as seed from feeders, juncos will eat a variety of wild seeds and insects on the days it’s warm enough for bug activity.

Though common across the state, most of Kansas’ juncos are migrants that normally arrive in October and depart in April.

Juncos come in a variety of color phases. Dark-eyed are generally the most common in Kansas and can be identified by their white belly and white outer feathers on their tails.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Dark-eyed junco."