Dark-Eyed Junco

Sometimes called Snowbirds, these fine feathered fellows fly in for the winter season and flee when it starts to get warm. The males winter farther north than the females and younger males winter even farther north. It's believed they do this in order to get back to the breeding ground to claim territory. Since females do not claim territory, they can winter farther south. Way to go, ladies. (One of my bird books contradicts this so I'm not sure if it's true.)

They are very social and where there's one, there are more. They form small flocks on the ground under the bird feeders pecking through the snow for seeds.

Someday I will find one on a sunny day (when we actually have sun again) and get a little better picture but this will have to do for another gray day in Michigan.