Cloud Junco

The Cloud Junco is a species of small, passerine bird found across all of Aubren. The birds derive their name from their light gray plumage, which darkens in summer to a black color. Despite being inaccurate, paintings of Cloud Juncos in summer plumage against a snowy background are exceptionally popular display pieces.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Cloud Juncos are small, round birds that rarely weigh more than 1 oz. Adult males of this species will have a white patch covering the nape of their necks and their shoulders, but the patch is absent in females and juvenile males. These birds have dark, nearly-black eyes on the sides of their heads. Their beaks and feet are a gray color that nearly matches their winter plumage in hue. Cloud Juncos are passerine birds, meaning that they have three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing toe. This foot formation allows the Cloud Junco to easily perch upright on branches and similar objects.

Genetics and Reproduction

Cloud Juncos breed in the late spring and hatch in early summer. These birds are notable in that they only have one partner per breeding season. Each brood contains 4 to 6 gray-and-white-speckled blue eggs. These eggs are laid in a nest on the ground, which is typically woven of twigs and grasses and cushioned with shed down. Females are the primary nesters, while the males dedicate themselves to bringing food to their female partner and protecting the nest. During the 13- to 14-day incubation period, the female will rarely — if ever — leave the brood unattended. After the eggs hatch, the female will begin to leave the nest more, and the male will take a more active role in parenting by bringing food directly to the young. The nesting period can be as long as 20 days.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Cloud Juncos are primarily seed-eaters, but they will also eat the occasional insect. Chickweed, buckwheat, sorrel, and millet seeds are the preferred foods, as noted by those who feed the birds. Crickets and mealworms have also been accepted by Cloud Juncos, notably by males with nesting partners. Most Cloud Juncos have a distaste for the seeds of sunflowers.

Behaviour

When foraging for food, Cloud Juncos typically hop rather than walk on the ground. They will peck and scratch at the leaf litter to find seeds, or flit about very low to the ground to glean their food from the underbrush. Cloud Junco flight is very agile, as it must be for a bird that spends most of its time in the undergrowth. They flap continuously to keep aloft. Cloud Junco form only loose flocks outside of breeding season. It is not uncommon for individuals to suddenly switch flocks whenever two groups meet.