This bird is today found mainly in the "Cupressus guadalupensis" cypress grove on the island of Guadalupe, with a few birds in the remaining Guadelupe pine stands. Around 1900, it was known to utilize almost any habitat for breeding. It ranged over the whole island for feeding then, and indeed still does theoretically, but actually only a handful of flocks exist. A testimony to the adaptability of this junco is the fact that today a few birds breed at the seashore in non-native "Nicotiana glauca" tobacco shrub, since this is dense enough to provide some protection from cats.