White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollisOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: WTSP Scientific Name: ZONALB ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179462

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Overview

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.

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.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

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.

Bird Term Glossary

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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.

White-throated Sparrow

● 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

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America