Junco hyemalis oreganus

We had a 5-6 inch snowfall overnight, and the sun came out this morning. The first birds to come out exploring are the Juncos (they are often called "snowbirds"). The dark black head, pink bill, white belly and buff coloration are typical of the Oregon group of Juncos. Grouping the Juncos is no simple matter, for they do interbreed. We see mostly Pink-Sided Juncos (very closely related to the Oregon Juncos), then Oregon Juncos, Gray-Headed Juncos, and only rarely see a Slate-Colored Junco.