In the United States, Yellow-eyed Juncos are restricted to the Sky Island Mountains of southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico such as the Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, Huachuca, and Chiricahua Mountains. The bulk of their population is south in the mountains of Mexico. They are common residents and breeders of the higher elevation (usually above 6000 ft) open conifer forest. Yellow-eyed Juncos will often move to lower elevations in the winter depending on snow cover and availability of food. Their diet consists primarily of seeds; they do feed on small insects when available. This junco species is easy to separate from Dark-eyed Juncos when the eye color can be seen. However, if the eye-color cannot be distinguished, the Yellow-eyed Junco can be confused with Red-backed and Gray-headed forms of the Dark-eyed Junco which occur in the area in the winter. Yellow-eyed Juncos nest on the ground, usually under leaves, tufts of grass, or exposed roots on steep slopes. When food supplies are available, this species may produce multiple broods in a season.