Breeding Location:
Forest
Breeding Type:
Monogamous, Solitary nester
Breeding Population:
Common to fairly common
Egg Color:
White to pale green with brown markings
Number of Eggs:
3 - 5
Incubation Days:
12 - 15
Egg Incubator:
Female
Nest Material:
Lined with fine grasses., Plant fiber and leaves.
Migration:
Migratory
Recommended Products:
General
Harris's Sparrow: Large sparrow with dark-streaked, brown upperparts and white underparts with dark-streaked sides. Head has stark black crown, face, and throat. Gray cheek patch is marked by a thin, black line. Bill is pink. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has buff-brown face and dark streaks on upper breast and sides.
Range and Habitat
Harris's Sparrow: Breeds in the mixed forest-tundra zones of north-central Canada, from the extreme northwestern reaches of the Northwest Territories to northern Ontario, along the shores of Hudson Bay. Spends winters in central U.S., from South Dakota to south Texas.
Breeding and Nesting
Harris's Sparrow: Three to five white to pale green eggs with brown markings are laid in a nest made from plant fibers and leaves, lined with grass, and built on the ground or at the base of a bush. Incubation ranges from 12 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.
Foraging and Feeding
Harris's Sparrow: Diet consists of seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and a few snails; forages primarily on the ground.
Readily Eats
Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit
Vocalization
Harris's Sparrow: Gives a series of clear, high notes followed by another series at a different pitch. Call is a loud, metallic "spink" or drawn-out "tseep."
Similar Species
Harris's Sparrow: White-crowned Sparrow has a black-and-white striped crown, mostly gray underparts, two white wing-bars, and a brown rump.
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