White-throated Sparrow

Overview

The white-throated sparrow is a passerine bird belonging to the New World sparrow family Passerellidae. It breeds in northern North America and spends the winter in the southern United States, while remaining year-round in the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

Identification

• Measures 15 to 19 cm in length with a wingspan of 23 cm and a typical weight of 22 to 32 g.
• Displays a white throat, yellow lores, and a gray bill, resembling the white-crowned sparrow but distinguished by these specific facial markings.
• Exists in two plumage forms: the white-striped variant has a black crown and white central stripe, while the tan-striped variant has a dark brown crown and tan central stripe.
• Song features a regular, pinched rhythm often described as "Po-or Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" or "O-oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada".

Habitat

This species breeds in central Canada and New England, nesting either on the ground under shrubs or low in trees within deciduous or mixed forest areas. During winter, it migrates to the southern and eastern United States, where it ranks among the most abundant native birds, though it occasionally appears as a rare vagrant in western Europe.

Diet

White-throated sparrows forage on the ground under or near thickets by kicking backward with both feet simultaneously. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, insects, and berries, including blackberries, grapes, and rose hips, and they are frequently attracted to bird feeders. During the summer, insects and other small invertebrates make up a larger portion of their food intake.

Did you know?

This species is considered a "super collider", with as many as 10,000 individuals found as fatalities in Chicago between 1978 and 2016, likely due to an attraction to artificial light and the use of nocturnal flight calls.