Sparrows, Buntings

Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia

Family Emberizidae (Sparrows, Buntings)

Size: 6"

Season: Year-round

Habitat: Thickets, shrubs, woodland edges near water

One of the most common sparrows, the song sparrow is fairly plump and has a long, rounded tail. It is brown and gray above with streaking, and white below with heavy dark or brownish streaking that often congeals into a discrete spot in the middle of the breast. The head has a dark crown with a gray medial stripe, dark eye line, and dark malar stripe above the white chin. Song sparrows are usually seen in small groups or individually, foraging on the ground for insects and seeds. The song is a series of chips and trills of variable pitch, and the call is a chip-chip-chip. The adult is illustrated.