Yellow-eyed Junco - Ethan Gyllenhaal
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Date

Location

Snow Lake and trail below dam
Catron, New Mexico, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 33.423849, -108.498391
Age
Not specified
Sex
Not specified

Observation details

***rare in gila, esp this far north (but more expected in winter iirc). Big surprise, our reward for continuing to check junco flocks. Presumably a winter wanderer. Hanging out with two GHJU a few hundred meters below damn in open grassy habitat next to willowy creek, often sitting in small trees: (33.4150842, -108.4918061). Last seen flying towards gilita/gila intersection. Watched it for about 5 minutes to rule out hybrid. Eyes more pure piercing yellow than amber-eyed juncos I know from the burros, plus rufous also on secondary coverts and secondaries (vs hybrids which tend to lack then, or have it much more reduced). Mediocre digibins show eye color and maybe rufous secondary coverts but not rufous on secondaries. A long overdue EFG state bird, was kinda hoping I’d leave NM with only hybrids, but alas

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