Dark - eyed Juncos are not specialists. They require a variety of both seeds and bugs. The bugs have higher protein and are eaten more so during breeding seasons.
Below is from the "Kid's Inquiry of Diverse Species."
The Dark-Eyed Junco is not endangered. It is considered a stable population and of least concern. It's habitat demands is what brings it to the level of an idicator species.
Dark-eyed juncos eat insects, (click here) non-insect arthropods (arachnids or spiders. Spiders are not insects. Centipedes and millipedes, and crustaceans), and seeds during the fall and winter. They are often seen at bird feeders during migration and in the winter months, but they prefer to search for food on the ground. When there is snow on the ground, dark-eyed juncos scratch away a small circle of snow to look for grain. To eat grass seed, dark-eyed juncos "ride" a grass stem. They fly to a tall grass stem and hold on as the stem bends down to the ground. The junco can stand on the grass stem on the ground and eat the seeds. During the breeding season, dark-eyed juncos eat mostly insects, including caterpillars, beetles, and ants. They also eat the seeds of many weed species.
Dark-eyed juncos drink water from streams or pools or from raindrops or dew on plant leaves. During the winter, they eat snow in order to get water.
