Yellow-eyed junco
The yellow-eyed junco is a species of junco, small American sparrows.
Its range is primarily in Mexico, extending into some of the mountains of the southern tips of the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico. Not generally migratory, but sometimes moves to nearby lower elevations during winter. The female lays three to five pale gray or bluish-white eggs in an open nest of dried grass two to three times a year. Incubation takes 15 days, and when hatched, the chicks are ready the leave the nest two weeks later. This bird's diet consists mainly of seeds, berries and insects.
Systematics
Similar to the situation in the dark-eyed junco, this species's systematics is still in need of much research before they can be considered resolved. Three subspecies groups are usually distinguished. These are, north to south:
- Mexican junco, Junco phaeonotus phaeonotus.
- Chiapas junco, Junco phaeonotus fulvescens.
- Guatemala junco, Junco phaeonotus alticola.
The Baird's junco was previously considered a subspecies.
