Dark-eyed Junco

The Dark-eyed Junco is Canada's unofficial bird of winter — when juncos appear at your feeder, you know the cold season has truly arrived. These charming, slate-grey sparrows with crisp white belly feathers and flashing white outer tail feathers are among the most common and recognizable backyard birds in the country. They forage almost exclusively on the ground, hopping and scratching through snow and leaf litter in busy flocks. Juncos breed across Canada's boreal forest and mountains, then flood southward in fall, making them a welcome and familiar presence at feeders from coast to coast all winter long.

Dark-eyed Juncos are ground-foraging seed lovers that thrive on white millet, cracked corn, and small mixed seeds. They'll scratch through leaf litter and snow to find scattered millet, making it their all-time favourite. A sprinkle of fine seeds on a cleared patch of ground is all it takes to attract a winter flock.

Juncos rarely visit hanging feeders — they're ground birds through and through. A low platform feeder or even a simple tray placed directly on the ground works best. Scatter seed on packed snow or a cleared patio area and watch them arrive in groups. If squirrels are an issue, try a ground cage feeder.

Juncos thrive in yards with dense ground cover, low shrubs, and brush piles where they can shelter and forage. Leave a patch of leaf litter undisturbed beneath trees — they'll scratch through it all winter looking for seeds. A small brush pile made from pruned branches in a quiet corner creates perfect junco roosting habitat. Evergreen shrubs like cedar or juniper planted near ground feeders give them the quick escape cover they need when a hawk passes through.