Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Synopsis: Breeds in woodlands and shrubby suburban areas throughout the state. Two races are present. The predominant one is the "Oregon Junco," but the "Gray-headed Junco" form was discovered breeding for the first time in Oregon (in Oregon Canyon Mountains, Malheur County) by an atlas project participant (see Oregon Birds 26:128-129). Most notable are the records from eastern Lake, western Harney, and southern Malheur Counties.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Subalpine Scattered Trees & Shrubs (76261 acres)
Edges of Recently Cutover/Burnt Forest (1846640 acres)
strong
Sitka Spruce-W. Hemlock Maritime Forest (402570 acres)
Mountain Hemlock Montane Forest (331694 acres)
True Fir-Hemlock Montane Forest (1590158 acres)
Shasta Red Fir-Mountain Hemlock Forest (54084 acres)
Whitebark-Lodgepole Pine Montane Forest (1323 acres)
Ponderosa Pine-dominant Mixed Conifer Forest (427287 acres)
Northeast Mixed Conifer Forest (3095469 acres)
Jeffery Pine Forest/Woodland (53780 acres)
Conifer Woodland on Serpentine Bedrock (51874 acres)
Lodgepole Pine Forest/Woodland (256439 acres)
Subalpine Fir-Lodgepole Pine Montane Conifer (714255 acres)
Coastal Lodgepole Forest (757 acres)
Douglas Fir-W. Hemlock-W. Red Cedar Forest (6616951 acres)
Douglas Fir-Port Orford Cedar Forest (166447 acres)
Douglas Fir-Mixed Deciduous Forest (2934 acres)
Douglas Fir-White Fir/Tanoak-Madrone Mixed Forest (1126272 acres)
Douglas Fir/White Oak Forest (196688 acres)
Ponderosa Pine Forest/Woodland (4728088 acres)
Douglas Fir dominant - Mixed Conifer Forest (2553242 acres)
Ponderosa Pine/White Oak Forest & Woodland (163195 acres)
Ponderosa Pine-W. Juniper Woodland (199536 acres)
Ponderosa-Lodgepole Pine on Pumice (1502766 acres)
W. Juniper Woodland (3663780 acres)
Red Alder (125162 acres)
Aspen Groves (22267 acres)
Mixed Conifer/Mixed Deciduous Forest (1428540 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Mixed Deciduous Forest (200392 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Shrubland on Serpentine Bedrock (32403 acres)
Manzanita-dominant Shrubland (15439 acres)
Mountain Mahogany Shrubland (1378 acres)
Subalpine Grassland (107229 acres)
Grassland & Fir-Ponderosa Interspersed (382681 acres)
Coastal Headland Grass & Shrubland (2285 acres)
Western Oregon Riverine Woodland (27749 acres)
Streamside/Wetland Shrubland (2171 acres)
some
Sagebrush Steppe (2292025 acres)
Northeast Canyon Grass & Shrubland (404556 acres)
Urban/Residential (589295 acres)
Edges of Cropland/Pasture/Orchard (4659520 acres)
Alpine Rock & Snowfield with Widely Scattered Shrubs (154745 acres)
lesser
White Oak Forest (115577 acres)
South coast Mixed Forest (2888 acres)

Relative Detectability: Easy to detect by sight and song, and very easy to confirm breeding.

Challenge: Determine if the gray-headed race breeds elsewhere in southeastern Oregon.