Juncos

Three subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco

These three are all regional variations of the same species. The three subspecies shown here are known as Slate-colored Junco (top, found mainly north and east), Oregon Junco (middle, found across the west), and Gray-headed Junco (bottom, found in the southern Rocky Mountains).

■ Most songbirds spend the summer as a pair on a territory, raising one or two broods of young, then go their separate ways migrating to the wintering grounds. In the case of juncos, females tend to migrate farther than males, and first-winter birds farther than older birds. At the southern edge of the winter range you would see a higher percentage of immature females, and closer to the breeding grounds more adult males. Many other species of songbirds do not segregate by age or sex, and each individual will return to the same small winter territory each year, in the same way that they are faithful to a summer territory.

Dark-eyed Juncos tending their nest

It’s December—why are there almost no birds using my feeder?

The most likely answer is that they are finding plenty of natural food and simply don’t need to supplement that with the bird feeder. Even if you are offering high-quality food in unlimited amounts, it probably requires some compromise or risk to reach it, like traveling across open areas (see this page). The birds may be more comfortable foraging all day in dense weedy thickets where they can stay hidden and find a diverse array of natural seeds and fruit, and even the occasional insect or snail. Once the winter weather closes in, and natural food supplies dwindle, bird feeders become the best option for many birds and you should see a normal number of birds making the trek to your feeder.

Dark-eyed Juncos

Is a bird feeder just providing easy pickings for predators?

No. Studies show that predation at feeders is lower than in more natural settings. This is presumably because there are more birds watching for danger and sounding the alarm for any nearby threat. Feeders do pose a threat by indirectly increasing nest predation in the summer. Populations of crows, grackles, cowbirds, chipmunks, and others increase when they have access to feeders in the winter, and those species then go after nests in the spring. Some studies have found that species like cardinals and robins raise almost no young in neighborhoods with feeders.

Is my bird feeder making birds lazy?

No. Studies show that even birds that have lived with feeders for generations still get at least half of their food from the wild and use the artificial food only as a supplement. They suffer no ill effects when the feeders are removed. Feeders help them get through extreme winter weather when natural food is hard to find (such as an ice storm) but otherwise have little impact on survival.

Will feeding birds keep them from migrating?

No. The decision to migrate is based on many different factors, including date, weather, and the bird’s body condition and fat reserves. If anything, it’s possible that feeders might prompt birds to leave sooner, by making it easier to “fill the tank” before a long flight.