Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis

The Dark-eyed Junco is a winter resident here in Texas often found hanging out with the House Sparrows, foraging for seeds on the ground. Their range includes a great portion of both the United States and Canada, where they spend their summer (in some colder areas of the United States they can be found year round); however, the reason for this particular photograph is this male was a victim of window collision, a leading cause of death among birds. Lucky for him, he only experience some minor shock, and was ready to fly again within the hour. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has some great tips to help prevent window collisions, and actions to take when a bird does collide. The main thing I can stress is that if the bird is injured, get it to a certified rehabilitator as soon as possible and do not attempt to help the bird yourself as you could easily cause more harm than good!