Bird of the Week: White-throated Sparrow

Our favorite bird this week is the White-throated Sparrow.

We see this bird twice a year as it migrates through in spring and fall. Like most birds, we hear it before we see it.

The White-throated Sparrow has a very distinctive call, with the first two notes clear and straight and one note apart on the scale, which is a followed by a slurred-stacato on the same note, repeated three times. When translated to English (haha), the call sounds like the bird is saying, "Old man, peabody, peabody, peabody." Others hear the words, "Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada." I personally like "peabody," so I call them the "Mr. Peabody birds." Either way, it's easy to identify the call.

Like many of our native sparrows, White-throated Sparrows have beautiful feathers with easy-to-recognize markings. The name fits the markings! Many times, the name given to the birds doesn't match at all, but this time it does.

In the spring, White-throated Sparrows show up at our nursery just after the Juncos leave. The Juncos are our winter birds they stay until Spring, then migrate up to northern Canada to nest. The White-throated Sparrows also nest in Canada and Alaska. They winter in southern U.S. and Mexico. With their long migration, it's no wonder why they stay for two weeks at our place to recharge their batteries before they head to their nesting area!

In the fall, the White-throated Sparrows arrive before the Juncos and stay again for another two weeks. They don't call as often, but they still call -- probably to keep the flock together (we assume). After they leave, the Juncos show up and we know that winter is just around the corner.

These sparrows will readily eat sunflower seeds, but you'll only see them foraging on the ground. They'll scratch the soil and grass for things to eat: usually seeds and bugs.

To help these birds during migration, the dense shrub plantings in our garden provide shelter from predators, roosting places to rest during the day and night, and food sources. We also have ponds and bird baths for the all-important water. It's easy to make your garden attractive to birds by planting a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, seed and flower-producing perennials and a bird bath.

Learn more about these wonderful birds at All About Birds, Cornell University Web site.