Dark-eyed Junco

The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is a species of junco, a group of small, grayish New World sparrows in the Passerellidae family. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic.

The dark-eyed junco’s breeding habitat is coniferous or mixed forest areas throughout North America.

These birds forage on the ground and are primarily seed-eaters, with seeds of chickweed, buckwheat, lamb’s quarters, sorrel, and the like making up about 75% of their year-round diet. At feeders they seem to prefer millet over sunflower seeds. During the breeding season, Dark-eyed Juncos also eat insects including beetles, moths, butterflies, caterpillars, ants, wasps, and flies.