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White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollisOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

White-throated Sparrow Breeding Male Portrait
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General

White-throated Sparrow: Medium-sized sparrow with rust-brown striped upperparts, conspicuous white throat, and plain gray underparts. Head has black-and-white striped crown and yellow spots between eyes and bill. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller.

Range and Habitat

White-throated Sparrow: Breeds from Mackenzie, central Quebec, and Newfoundland south to North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Spends winters in much of eastern U.S. and in small numbers in southwestern states. Nests in brushy or semi-open mixed woods, winters on wood lots, scrub lands, gardens, and backyards. Frequently visits bird feeders.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody", "tseep"

Interesting Facts

 The White-throated Sparrow was first described in 1789 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.

 It comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. The two color forms are determined by genetic differences, and are unique among birds.

 Individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph. Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes,and both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males.

 A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for White-throated Sparrow
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Zonotrichia albicollis
Length6.25 - 7.5 Inches
Wingspan9.375 Inches

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow: Medium-sized sparrow with rust-brown striped upperparts, conspicuous white throat, and plain gray underparts. Head has black-and-white striped crown and yellow spots between eyes and bill. Short flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

● Song: "poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody", "tseep"

● Foraging & Feeding: White-throated Sparrow: Feeds on seeds and insects; scratches noisily when foraging, throwing aside leaf litter in search of food. Eats leaf buds of oak, maple, and crabapple trees in early spring.

● Breeding & nesting: White-throated Sparrow: Three to six creamy white, blue, or green eggs with red brown markings are laid in a cup nest made of coarse grass, twigs, and pine needles, and lined with fine grass, rootlets, and deer hair. Incubation ranges from 11 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: White-throated Sparrow: White-crowned Sparrow has black-and-white striped crown, pink bill, and lacks white throat patch and yellow spots between eyes and bill.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.
White-throated Sparrow Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: White-throated Sparrow: Breeds from Mackenzie, central Quebec, and Newfoundland south to North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Spends winters in much of eastern U.S. and in small numbers in southwestern states. Nests in brushy or semi-open mixed woods, winters on wood lots, scrub lands, gardens, and backyards. Frequently visits bird feeders.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.9 Ounces