The Smithsonian provides employees with free online access to BNA. Below is the text for the Dark-eyed Junco complex. I doubt that it'll help that much as this is an extremely complex taxonomy. I forwarded the photos to friends who live in Colorado who deal with a wide variety of the DEJU subspecies and they couldn't differntiate the bird in question between typical eastern Slate-colored and Cassiar's. Jane and I have run into this problem in North Dakota where there is a similar mix of central and eastern subspecies and the locals have a tough time trying to pigeonhole Cassiar-types and Slate-colored-types.
Note that Cassiar's Junco is not discussed separately but as a subspecies within the hyemalis group. I don't have Beadle and Rising here at work but perhaps that might be a good source of fairly recent info, with graphics, that's readily available?
Anyway, here's the text.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Medium-sized sparrow about 14.5-16.5 cm in length and averaging about 18–22 g (see Measurements, below). Exhibits marked geographic variation in plumage coloration and moderate variation in size, with intergradations between the 5 distinctive groups (see below). Identification of most groups is well covered by Howell and Webb (1995), Rising (1996), Dickinson (1999), and Sibley (2000); for descriptions of individual subspecies, see Systematics, below.
Adult Dark-eyed Junco lacks streaks and typically has gray to black (sometimes tinged brown) “hood” over head and breast, which contrasts with white belly; conspicuous white outer tail-feathers on otherwise dark tail; typically, pinkish bill (in some races bluish, grayish, or bicolored with upper mandible dark); dark eye, (reddish brown to dark red); and pinkish toes and tarsometatarsus, sometimes with dusky areas (e.g., feet in some races). Sexes similar but females in some subspecies average paler and browner (feathers tipped with buff, especially on head) than males; little change throughout year. Basic plumage I averages paler and browner than subsequent plumages. Juveniles generally resemble adult plumage pattern but are browner in color, often with buffy undertone on breast and adult pattern largely obscured by coarse streaking on head, back, and underparts; eye grayish, becoming brown in immatures. Some juveniles have pale wing-bars (Graber
1955).
Distinguishable Groups
Slate-colored Junco (Hyemalis Group).
Northern and e. North America; size medium compared to other groups; plumage entirely slate gray to medium gray or brownish gray, contrasting with white belly, vent, and under tail-coverts; white on outer 3 rectrices; pinkish-white bill (some populations bluish-white). Small percentage of adult females heavily washed with brown or reddish-brown, especially on flanks. Hood usually blends with flanks and back (i.e., no sharply contrasting boundary); dark breast and flanks meet white of belly in smooth concave (inverted U) shape. Wing-coverts rarely white tipped (about 3% of individuals): such birds distinguished from White-winged Junco (J. h. aikeni) by darker color of J. h. hyemalis body (not paler with bluish-gray cast), smaller size (including relatively shorter bill and tail), and less white in outer tail-feathers.
Some Slate-colored Juncos (especially females and immatures) in Basic I plumage may resemble J. h. mearnsi or other subspecies of oreganus group. Plumage of a small percentage of J. h. hyemalis is suffused reddish brown, including pinkish buff on flanks and brown on back. J. h. cismontanus typically are browner or buffier on flanks and back than the others; thus, some of hyemalis group are mistaken for oreganus - group juncos (especially J. h. mearnsi). But in oreganus - group juncos, hood and back contrast sharply, producing clear boundary instead of blended transition. Similarly, in oreganus group, sharp contrast separates belly from breast and flanks; pattern of hood in oreganus is clearly convex across breast. Hybrids and birds showing evidence of intergradation within oreganus -group juncos are frequent; and J. h. cismontanus is thought of as a stabilized hybrid swarm between hyemalis and oreganus groups.
Oregon Junco (Oreganus Group).
W. North America; size medium. Hood black to dark grayish brown and sharply contrasted against back, breast, and flanks (sharp convex boundary across breast); back and scapulars brown to reddish brown more or less blending with brown of wing; sides and flanks pinkish buff to reddish brown. Rarely, wing-coverts of adults have white tips (about 1%, perhaps more in Sierra Nevada, California, populations). Hybrids and intergrades within oreganus group and with caniceps group and especially hyemalis group occur. Pink-sided Junco (J. h. mearnsi) is distinctive and sometimes regarded as separate group. Pink-sided breeds in n. U.S. Rockies, wintering south to n. Mexico; medium-large in body size. Pearly gray head with bluish-gray cast; chin and throat paler gray than rest of head; lores contrastingly dark to black; back and scapulars dull brown; sides and flanks typically extensively (broadly) pinkish cinnamon. White tips on wing-coverts rare (about 2% of
individuals). Sexes differ less than in other oreganus - group subspecies. Females more often show buff cast on hood, which may average slightly darker gray than in male. See Dunn 2002 for detailed descriptions, photographs of J. h. mearnsi .
Gray-Headed Junco (Caniceps Group).
Montane interior West; medium in body size. Plumage medium gray with contrasting black lores; pale-gray sides and flanks do not contrast sharply with white belly, which may be faintly tinged gray; back rufous or mahogany red (generally confined to interscapular region); bill of central Arizona and New Mexico populations (J. h. dorsalis) bicolored (upper mandible dark, lower mandible pinkish); rarely rufous on inner secondaries and greater wing-coverts; white tips on wing-coverts rare (about 1% of individuals). Hybrids and populations showing evidence of intergradation with oreganus - group juncos occur in northern and western part of Gray-headed’s range (and in migrants and wintering birds).
White-Winged Junco (Aikeni Group).
Small area in central U.S. (Black Hills region and nearby mountains in western plains, wintering as far south as n.-central New Mexico); large body size with relatively large bill and long tail. Plumage pattern as in Slate-colored Juncos, but gray is paler, usually with bluish-gray cast; 2 narrow white wing-bars, occasionally absent (up to 22% of females lack wing-bars, according to Miller [1941]). Extensive white in outer rectrices (R4 largely white); some individuals show contrastingly darker gray lores and chin. Slate-colored Junco rarely acquires white wing-bars (about 3% of individuals), as do Oregon and Gray-headed juncos even more rarely.
Guadalupe Junco (Insularis Group).
Guadalupe I. off Baja California, Mexico; medium-small in body size with proportionately long bill and large feet relative to short wings and tail. Hood dull gray to brownish gray, with darker gray to black lores and contrastingly paler gray chin and throat (pattern as on J. h. mearnsi); back dull brown; sides and flanks fairly broad pinkish cinnamon. Sexes similar in color. Call and song quite different from those of other Dark-eyed Junco groups (see Sounds: vocalizations, below).
Tyler Bell
California, Maryland
________________________________
From: George M. Jett <>
To:
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2011 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] "Cassiar" Dark-eyed Junco
Fred
You could try the Birds of North America (BNA). BNA is run by Cornell. They have an on line source but you need to be a member. I think it is $50 per year but well worth it. They have hard copies of about 700 species accounts, but the on line service is much cheaper and more up to date.
George
www.georgejett.net
-----Original Message----- From: Frederick D. Atwood
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 8:29 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] "Cassiar" Dark-eyed Junco
Is there a good on-line source for studying and learning the differences in the Junco subspecies?
Thanks
Fred
________________________________________
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [] on behalf of Russ Ruffing []
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 7:28 PM
To:
Subject: [MDOSPREY] "Cassiar" Dark-eyed Junco
I had a probable Cassiar at my feeder in Woodstock, MD in early January of this year. Rob's bird is extremely similar to my bird, as can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yawncelot/6438932457/in/photostream
It is listed as a "Pink-sided" in the MD/DCRC for now, but that's because I mistakenly reported it to ebird as a Pink-sided - was not familiar with the Cassiar subspecies at the time. It will be interesting to see what becomes of all the western junco reports that are pending review.
Russ Ruffing
Woodstock, MD
On 12/01/11, Robert Ostrowski<> wrote:
I, along with Peter Osenton and David Kidwell, observed a striking Junco on
Assateague Island last Saturday that shows signs of being of one of the
western subspecies. Literally seconds before my camera ran out of
batteries, I snapped off a few photos of this interesting bird, and after
reviewing them at home, have become more and more inclined to think that it
is of the "cismontanus" subspecies, which is putatively part of the
Slate-colored group but differing from our typical hyemalis birds.
The status of the Cassiar in the east seems to me to be blurry at best, and
talking with others who have knowledge of the situation, there are a
significantly higher number of claims than documented records, especially
"slam dunk" records. The MD/DCRC hasn't yet reviewed the vast majority of
western Junco reports from our area, and when they do, it should prove to
be challenging. As far as specimens, there is at least one mearnsi from
Washington DC (10/26/1979) (found dead by Rick Blom) and a cismontanus
(Chan Robbins) from MD.
I've posted a few photos (link below) of the bird on my Flickr site and
would be interested to hear any comments from those who have
studied/observed this confusing group of birds.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/sets/72157628234080209/
Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD
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Woodstock, MD in early January of this year. Rob's bird is extremely similar to my bird, as can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yawncelot/6438932457/in/photostream
It is listed as a "Pink-sided" in the MD/DCRC for now, but that's because I mistakenly reported it to ebird as a Pink-sided - was not familiar with the Cassiar subspecies at the time. It will be interesting to see what becomes of all the western junco reports that are pending review.
Russ Ruffing
Woodstock, MD
On 12/01/11, Robert Ostrowski<> wrote:
I, along with Peter Osenton and David Kidwell, observed a striking Junco on
Assateague Island last Saturday that shows signs of being of one of the
western subspecies. Literally seconds before my camera ran out of
batteries, I snapped off a few photos of this interesting bird, and after
reviewing them at home, have become more and more inclined to think that it
is of the "cismontanus" subspecies, which is putatively part of the
Slate-colored group but differing from our typical hyemalis birds.
The status of the Cassiar in the east seems to me to be blurry at best, and
talking with others who have knowledge of the situation, there are a
significantly higher number of claims than documented records, especially
"slam dunk" records. The MD/DCRC hasn't yet reviewed the vast majority of
western Junco reports from our area, and when they do, it should prove to
be challenging. As far as specimens, there is at least one mearnsi from
Washington DC (10/26/1979) (found dead by Rick Blom) and a cismontanus
(Chan Robbins) from MD.
I've posted a few photos (link below) of the bird on my Flickr site and
would be interested to hear any comments from those who have
studied/observed this confusing group of birds.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/sets/72157628234080209/
Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD
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