Junco Diet

In the wild, juncos primarily feed on seeds, insects, and berries during the warmer months. In winter, they resort to grasses and weeds. They sometimes scratch through leaves or snow to find morsels of food. You can attract them by tossing seeds on the ground. Being ground birds, they aren't much into bird feeders. You'll find they tend to eat whatever other birds knock out of the feeders. Still, I do find Juncos happily sitting in the middle of my bird feeder, chowing down. Their favorite seed is white millet.

Juncos favor seeds, insects, fruit, and some grasses in the wild. They may eat the seeds of Echinacea, Black-Eyed Susan, Zinnia, Goosefoot, Pigweed, Ragweed, Panic Grass, Barnyard grass, Sorrel, Chickweed, Smartweed, Crabgrass, Pursalane, Vetch, Cosmos, Coneflower, Marigolds, and Knotweed.

Acceptable Foods for Juncos

Live Insects

Ants, Beetles, Grasshoppers, Flies, Spiders, Knats, Moths, Mealworms, and various eggs and larvae

Fruits

Apples, Grapes (an Raisins), Currents, Blackberries, Raspberries, Juniper berries, Cranberries, Blueberries, and Wild Strawberries

Nuts

Peanuts, Walnuts, and Almonds

Grains

Millet, white (not golden), Cracked Corn, 

Tree Seeds

Spruce, Birch, and Sumac

Vegetables

Brocoli, Leafy Green Lettuce, and Carrot 

Seeds

Sunflower (hearts), Nyjer (Thistle), and Pumpkin 

Foods to Avoid Giving to Juncos

Rye

Wheat

Buckwheat

Red Milo

Golden Millet

Flaxseed

Rice (uncooked)

Oats (whole)

Shells (of any kind)

Canary Seed

Dyed Seed

Avocado

Chocolate

Salt

Sugar

Caffiene

Alcohol

Note: Oats are on the list to avoid. However, if you grind oats into a powder and mix them with pure water to make pablum for nestlings, it will keep them going for a day or so until you can buy baby bird food from your neighborhood pet store, Amazon.com, or Chewy.com.

Feeding a Rescued Junco

Nestlings: In an emergency, nestlings can be fed homemade pablum with a dropper or from the tip of a chopstick, but if you plan to continue feeding them, you'll want to purchase pablum and follow the directions on the label according to the bird's age, which guarantees the nestling will get all of the nutrients it needs to thrive. Baby birds grow so quickly that malnutrition at any stage can cause lasting health problems.

 

Fledglings: Once a Junco begins pecking for food on it's own, it's time to begin weaning it away from pablum and soft foods. You can feed them the foods listed above under Acceptable Foods for Juncos. Juncos are ground feeders but in captivity they quickly learn to eat and drink from bird feeders. You'll want to use silo feeders for food and water (they look like tubes) that attach to the ouside of the cage. Using bowls just isn't a good idea. Birds poop "a lot" and you don't want your Junco eating or drinking contaminated food or water. You also don't want your fledgling drowning in a bowl of water.  

 

Junco Youths & Adults: Older Juncos eat approximately 3 tablespoons of a grain, nut, and seed mix daily. They also eat about another 1-2 tablespoons of minced vegetables and fruit, which is essential for getting all of the vitamins and minerals they need. Adult Juncos may eat more if allowed to free-fly daily. We allow Meekull to fly outside of his cage in a room where he is safe to encourage muscle tone and keep depression at bay. Flying increases his appetite. In the wild, especially during colder months, Juncos eat more to fuel their energy reserves.