Volcano Junco

Junco vulcani

eBird describes the Volcano Junco this way:  Demonic-looking bird with staring yellow eye set against black face. Otherwise gray with browner flanks, brown back with black streaks. Pale pink bill. Found in open habitats at high elevations, usually above 3000m but locally down to 2500m. Often on the ground or in small shrubs, usually in pairs or small groups. Very limited range only in Costa Rica and extreme western Panama.

The Birds of the World website introduces the Volcano Junco with this descriptive information:  Volcano Junco is the southernmost member of the juncos, a group of sparrows that occurs only in North America. Unlike other species in the genus, the tail of Volcano Junco is almost entirely dark (lacking white outer rectrices, which are characteristic of other species of junco), and its upperparts are streaked black and brown, rather than being uniform gray, brown, or rufous. Volcano Junco occurs at highland sites, many of which are volcanoes, in Costa Rica and also westernmost Panama; since its preferred highland habitat is restricted to mountain tops, this species has a rather fragmented distribution. Where it occurs, however, it can be relatively common. Volcano Junco has a bright yellow iris and a pink bill; the head and underparts are mostly pale gray, and it has a conspicuous black mask. Volcano Junco is rather easy to find and to observe, but even so, its natural history is very poorly known.

I met and photographed my first Volcano Junco early on the afternoon of February 9, 2023 with a small group of birders with Tropical Birding Tours.  We had traveled along Route 2 (the Pan American Highway) to the top of Cerro Del Muerte (“Summit of Death”), Costa Rica to look for this bird.  As stated by the Birds of the World website, the bird was easy to find and observe.  eBird describes it as “demonic”…I would call it “striking”.  I was glad to add this striking sparrow to my life list!