*Newsletter INDEX*
SNOWBIRDS: Dark-eyed Junco---Page 1
Board of Directors---Page 2
Important Phone Numbers---Page 2
Membership Information---Page 2
Committees---Page 2
Township Tidbits--Page 3
Fish Survey--Page 3
Winter Carnival--Page 3
Poker Run--Page 3
McNALMS Conference Report--Page 4
SPAM Notice--Page 4
Essay by Aldo Leopold: The Land Ethic--Page 5
Boat Parade--Page 5
'09 Poker Run Sponsors--Page 6
Hammerhandle Pike Article--Page 7
Membership Form---Page 8

MICHIGAN’S SNOWBIRDS Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

 Though many people associate bird watching with the warm days of summer, there are hardy birds that breed to the north and can be found in Michigan during the coldest winter months.

One of the most common of these throughout the Lower Peninsula is the darkeyed junco.

The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is a member of the sparrow family and is distinctive with its white or light pink bill, dark gray head, back, and sides, and its light gray or white belly. There are five different subspecies of the junco; the “slate-colored” subspecies is found in Michigan. Juncos can be found all across North America from Alaska and Newfoundland to Mexico and Florida. They are commonly seen at feeders throughout the winter and have been nicknamed “snowbirds” for their tendency to appear just as the snow starts to fly. To residents of the Upper Peninsula, though, these are summer birds. Juncos spend the summer in the UP and the northern LP, building nests and raising young along forest edges and in forest openings. Birds may also be found nesting in shrubby habitats typical of regenerating clear-cut or burned-over areas. Courtship begins in May or June after birds have returned from their wintering grounds. Juncos nest on the ground, and the female usually looks for a small cavity under tree roots, logs, rocks or shrubs to build her nest. The nest is a cup formed of twigs, bark, dried leaves, moss, and grass; the nest is lined with fine grass and hair. A typical clutch is 3 to 5 bluish-white eggs covered in brownish speckles which are incubated for 12 to 13 days. Young birds are able to leave the nest by the time they are 2 weeks old, though they remain at least partially dependent on their parents for up to 3 more weeks. Depending on when the young finally leave the nest, adult juncos may raise as many as 3 broods in a summer. In contrast, it is common to find juncos away from forested landscapes during the winter and frequenting fields, parklands, and suburbs after they leave their breeding grounds in October and November. Juncos tend to feed on the ground and may spend more time picking seed up from the ground around your feeders than at the feeder itself. Older, more dominant birds arrive on their wintering grounds earliest, followed by younger birds. Males tend to winter farther to the north than females. Birds tend to migrate to the same location year after year so you may see the same birds in your local flock for several years. These flocks spend the winter in a 10-12 acre area, roosting together at night, and have a complicated social hierarchy. You can see this pecking order at your feeder as dominant birds assert their position over other birds by facing them and fanning their tails to reveal the white outer tail feathers or by rushing at, pecking, and chasing subordinate birds. Dominant birds may face each other, extend their necks, and repeatedly raise and lower their bills, though this display rarely results in a fight. In the spring, males may start pursuing females at your feeder before migrating north to begin the breeding cycle again.

Karen Cleveland, Wildlife Division, Spotting Scope

Winter