What do dark eyed juncos eat? In winter across much of the continent, flocks of juncos can be found around forest edges and suburban yards, feeding on the ground, calling as they soar into the underbrush. In the eastern plains, juncos are all grey and white, but in the west they come in a variety of colour patterns, with reddish brown on the back or sides or both; some of these were once considered to be different species. what do dark eyed juncos eat? The answer will be revealed by birdsofjoy.com right now!
What does a black-eyed junco look like?
- Scientific Name: Junco hyemalis
- Family: Sparrows
- Length: 6 inches
- Wingspan: 9 inches
- Symbolism: Color varies by region. Common features include a black eye, pink bill, white-lined tail, and a black, brown, or gray hood.
The name “black-eyed junco” applies to several populations, each with slightly different colors. The gray junco is the only species in the East. The Oregon subspecies is most common in the West; other smaller-range subspecies include the pink-bellied, white-winged, gray-headed, and red-backed. If you live in the West or are visiting in the winter, check your field guide to see what you can expect to see.
In most populations, female juncos are slightly paler than the average male junco. For example, female slate gray juncos tend to be brown, while males are closer to black. Juvenile juncos are usually paler and may have stripes.
What do dark eyed juncos eat?
Juncos are seed eaters. In winter, juncos feed on the seeds of weeds and grasses that remain in your landscape or in fields, parks, and open woodlands. Seeds from common plants such as chickweed, buckwheat, lamb’s quarters, and sorrel make up 75 percent of their year-round diet. Or they might snatch a juicy berry from a fruiting shrub. But juncos also supplement their diet with bird feeders.
These snowbirds like to forage on the ground for millet, black oil sunflower seeds, or cracked corn that has fallen from your feeder. They may occasionally take seeds from a pedestal or tray feeder.
Where Do Black-eyed Juncos Find Food?
Juncos are ground feeders, meaning they forage for most of their food on the forest floor and on the ground of grasslands, fields, and other open spaces. During the breeding season, black-eyed juncos are found in coniferous and mixed (partially deciduous) forests of pine, spruce, and hardwoods. There are plenty of insects to catch in the warmer parts of the year, so the juncos can provide their young with the animal protein they need to thrive. Even in the woods, juncos often forage on the ground, with dense undergrowth somewhere nearby.
However, as fall approaches, arthropods gradually lose their place on the black-eyed junco’s diet. As winter approaches, juncos begin to gather in flocks and migrate to more southerly areas and opt for more open habitats. At this time, you can observe them foraging for precious seeds closer to human settlements – often at bird feeders.
Additionally, this is the time of year when birds are in greater need of food as they prepare for winter. That is why they like to occupy a prominent position at artificial bird feeders.
The Impact of the Dark-Eyed Junco’s Diet on the Environment
In addition to satisfying hunger and restoring lost energy, every organism involved in the food web affects the environment in one way or another.
For juncos and many other birds, they actually shape ecosystems.
In fact, birds are champions of ecosystem engineering because they disperse plant seeds along with some of the valuable natural chemical fertilizers (aka guano).
In this way, they directly influence the composition of the plant community. In turn, the plant community determines everything else in that habitat – the presence of certain insects, other birds, and small mammals associated with the plants. Seed-eating and fruit-eating birds, such as the Dark-Eyed Junco, are especially important in this regard.
They disperse seeds and help some seeds germinate by damaging their hard coats in plants. On the other hand, they can destroy the seeds of some undesirable plants.
Through their feeding habits, the black-eyed junco helps control insects that we consider agricultural pests, such as some moths and their caterpillars. They maintain their numbers (and the entire ecological balance) by eating them.
Dark-eyed Junco Nests and Eggs
Although juncos nest primarily in Canada and parts of Alaska, some birds are year-round residents in parts of the Lower 48 states, including the Northeast, Northwest, and coastal California.
Females build a cup-shaped nest on the ground out of natural materials and lay four to six pale, speckled eggs inside.
Range and Habitat
The Dark-eyed Junco, also known as the Snowbird, is thriving! Our friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimate their total population to be over 630 million.
Juncos are winter birds in many parts of the United States. They travel in small flocks throughout the season. Juncos return to many parts of the Lower 48 as winter approaches each year. They leave their breeding grounds in the Northwoods and western mountains. They then fly down to backyard feeding stations across the United States.
Look for juncos in evergreen or mixed forests in the summer. In the winter, they visit all types of forests, scrublands, farms, parks, and backyards.
