Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family EMBERIZIDAE

Menu

1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A common sparrow of backyards across North America, the Song Sparrow is readily recognized by its streaked breast and large central spot. It lives up to its name, being one of the most persistent singers throughout the spring and summer.

Cool Facts

• The Song Sparrow is found throughout most of North America, but different populations in different areas can look surprisingly different. Those found in the arid Southwest are lightly marked and pale while those in the Pacific Northwest are dark and heavily streaked. The sparrows found on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are even darker, and are huge: one-third longer than the eastern birds, and weighing twice as much.
• The range of the Song Sparrow is nearly continuous from the Aleutians to the eastern United States. However, the species is also found on the plateau of central Mexico, about 1500 km (930 mi) from the next closest population. The Song Sparrows of central Mexico have white throats and chests with black streaks.

• Despite the large morphological differences between populations of Song Sparrows, genetic divergence is rather low. High rates of dispersal and gene flow may keep the populations genetically similar, but local selective conditions maintain the physical differences.

• Like many other songbirds, the male Song Sparrow uses its song to attract mates as well as defend its territory. Laboratory studies have shown that the female Song Sparrow is attracted not just to the song itself, but to how well it reflects the ability of the male to learn. Males that used more learned components in their songs and that better matched their song tutors (the adult bird they learned their songs from) were preferred.

• The Song Sparrow, like most other North American breeding birds, uses increasing day length as a cue for when to come into breeding condition. But, other cues can be important too, such as local temperature and food abundance. A study found that male Song Sparrows from the coast of Washington state came into breeding condition two months earlier than Song Sparrows in the nearby mountains, where the daylight changes were the same, but temperatures were cooler and trees budded out two months later.

Description

• Size: 12-17 cm (5-7 in)
• Wingspan: 18-24 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 12-53 g (0.42-1.87 ounces)

• Chest streaked, with spot in center.
• Two thick brown stripes on sides of whitish throat (malar stripes).
• Long, rounded tail.
• Grayish or whitish eyebrow.

• Geographically very variable: large and dark in Northwest, pale in Southwest.
• Crown dark brown, separated by lighter stripe in center.
• Back brown with black streaks.
• Underparts whitish.
• Rusty tinge on wings.
• Flanks and upper chest with dusky background in dark races.
• Bill brown.
• Eyes dark brown.
• Legs and feet dark brown to pinkish brown.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, except that it is drabber and buffier, with finer streaking on face and underparts, and less distinct face and head stripes.

Similar Species

• The Song Sparrow's habit of pumping its long, rounded tail up and down during flight may help distinguish it from other sparrows.
• Savannah Sparrow has a shorter, slightly notched tail, and a yellow tinge between its eyes and bill.
• Vesper Sparrow has a white eyering and white outer tail feathers.
• Fox Sparrowis larger, more streaked with larger, smudgy streaks, and is redder overall.
• Lincoln's Sparrow has darker gray eyebrows, buff stripes on the sides of its throat, a buff (not white) upper breast, and is more finely streaked.

Sound

Song is a varied series of two to six phrases, usually starting with several clear notes and then including buzzes, trills, or other complex notes. Call a husky "chimp."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from southwestern Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland, and southward to northern Mexico and northern Georgia. Also in central Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters along coasts and from southern Canada southward to Mexico and Florida.

Habitat

Found in variety of open, shrubby areas, especially near water in arid regions.

Food

Seeds, fruits, invertebrates.

Behavior

Foraging

Feeds primarily on ground in or near dense underbrush. Scratches in litter with both feet.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest an open cup of grass, weed stems, leaves, and strips of plant bark. Lined with fine grass, rootlets, and hair. Usually placed low in grass or shrub, often on ground under tuft of grass.

Egg Description

Bluish green with brown spots.

Clutch Size

Usually 3-5 eggs. Range: 1-6.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with patches of black down on head and back.

Conservation Status

Widespread and common in urban and suburban areas, so generally not of much concern. However, some California subspecies that use exclusively tidal marshes are vulnerable to habitat loss, and are listed as of special concern. Populations extirpated on several California Channel Islands.

Other Names

Bruant [Pinson] chanteur (French)
Gorrión cantor (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

1. Arcese, P., M. K. Sogge, A. B. Marr, and M. A Patten. 2002. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). In The Birds of North America, No. 704 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
2. Beadle, D., and J. Rising. 2002. Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide. Academic Press, San Diego.
3. Nowicki, S., W. A. Searcy, and S. Peters. 2002. Quality of song learning affects female response to male bird song. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, Series B 269: 1949-1954.
4. Perfito, A. D. Tramontin, S. Meddle, P. Sharp, D. Afik, J. Gee, S. Ishii, M. Kikuchi, and J. C. Wingfield. 2004. Reproductive development according to elevation in a seasonally breeding male songbird. Oecologia 140: 201-210.