Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis Sep–Apr

Easy to spot as they are numerous in suburban areas, these medium-sized sparrows have white vertical bars on the outer sides of the tail when in flight that make them very noticeable. Visiting Rhode Island during the colder months and breeding further north in Canada during the summer, a nickname for this migrant is "Snow Bird." The ones seen on the East Coast are a dark gray with a white belly and have a pale pink beak. Birds that live west of the Great Plains display a variety of different color combinations.