Possible Pink-sided Junco (Junco hyemalis mearnsi)
This interesting 'dark-headed' Dark-eyed Junco was discovered near the Honey Island Shooting Range on 13 February 2008 by Tim Baerwald, Dave Roth, and Justin Bosler. Surprisingly, only two juncos were noted on our winter atlas survey that morning; one being a typical adult male "Slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco and the other being the mystery individual pictured here. More surprising, however, is the overall scarcity of juncos in the Pearl River Basin this winter. These two juncos were our first in nearly five weeks of meticulously atlasing the management area. Both juncos were foraging together in the sparse grass surrounding the parking area. Even when flushed they wouldn't venture too far from the immediate area. Notes on plumage characters can be found under the captions.
Feb 14, 2008
Photos: 4
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