AN APPARENT RED-BACKED JUNCO, JUNCO HYEMALIS DORSALIS, IN CALIFORNIA

 The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is a highly variable songbird found over much of North america. Winter junco flocks in California are dominated by birds of the Oregon Junco subspecies group (with J. h. thurberi being the most widespread), but small numbers of Slate-colored Juncos (J. h. hyemalis and J. h. cismontanus) and more rarely Pink-sided Juncos (J. h. mearnsi) and Gray-headed Juncos (J. h. caniceps) also occur; the White-winged Junco (J. h. aikeni) has been documented at least four times (Patten et al. 1998, Wright 2019). Different mixes of these same subspecies groups, all of which had been considered full species at times in the past, can be found in winter over much of western North america.