Juncos are definitely ground nesters and definitely nest here at sea level in Bandon, as they are in our yard breeding every year. Undoubtedly cats take their fair share.
Cheers Dave Lauten On 7/7/2014 10:35 PM, Jeff Gilligan wrote:
I think that juncos nest in the types of places that have been described because they are not visited (at least not often) by cats. University campuses, medical clinics, parks, etc. are no better habitat , except for cats, than residential neighborhoods in most Oregon towns. Every junco nest that I have happened to find has been on the ground. (There was a singing junco a few weeks ago on my block. I'll have to check to see if it nested, but I doubt it.) Without outdoor cats, I think there would be juncos nesting all over Portland. Towhees are similarly generally absent in Portland's urban gardens as breeders, while the bush-nesting Song Sparrows are everywhere.Jeff GilliganOn Jul 7, 2014, at 10:20 PM, Ray <rkorpi@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rkorpi@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:All,Junco distribution in the lower levels of the Portland-Vancouver area is interesting as well. My house is at about 200 feet elevation if Google is to be believed. We have had annual nesting juncos in the yard area each year we have been here (including a male who trills more warbler-like than junco-like as in a thread a few weeks ago--he has started singing again of late). When I lived in St Johns in NW Portland, I only had juncos at the house from Sept to May though I could find them readily in areas with evergreen trees, like near several of the area parks.Interesting discussion about a bird whose presence we take for granted to an extent. And I have to find some of that wine too!Cheers! Ray Korpi rkorpi@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rkorpi@xxxxxxxxxxx> Vancouver WA
