By Tina Mitchell Common and conspicuous winter visitors, Dark-eyed Juncos frequent Colorado’s seed feeders and rural roadsides. John Jay Audubon once referred to the junco as “the little Snowbird,” since in many places it showed up only in the winter. This junco’s scientific name – Junco hyemalis – as well as its common name derive in part from Latin juncus, meaning “reed” since it (sort of) resembles Europe’s Reed Bunting. The species name hyemalis translates to “of or belonging to winter,” because also in Sweden (home of Carl Linnaeus, who named the bird), juncos appeared only in the winter. “Dark-eyed” ...