A junco, genus Junco, is a small North American bird in the New World sparrow family Passerellidae. Junco systematics are still confusing after decades of research, with various authors accepting between three and twelve species. Despite having a name that appears to derive from the Spanish term for the plant genus Juncus (rushes), these birds are seldom found among rush plants, which prefer wet ground, while juncos prefer dry soil.
Junco
A pink-sided dark-eyed junco in Elizabeth, Colorado
Image: Dark eyed Junco, Washington State 02
Image: Junco insularis Pau Aleixandre
New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns.
New World sparrow
Common bush tanager (Chlorospingus flavopectus)
Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
Male lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys)