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• Song Sparrows “pump” their tails up and down as they fly
• Song Sparrows have fairly conspicuous brown spots in the centers of their chests
IdentifyingSong Sparrows
• Song Sparrows are found in every state of the Union
• Most wide-spread native sparrow
• 31 subspecies, more than any other North American bird species
Haven’t I Seen You Before?
• Oldest known banded Song Sparrow was more than 11 years old
• Song Sparrow pairs will live and nest in less than 2 acres and may raise up to 4 broods in a year
Song SparrowFun Facts
• 86% of winter diet is plant seeds
• Average weight is less than an ounce, but can fluctuate up to 20% in 24 hours
Song SparrowFun Facts
• Sing throughout the year
• Adult males perform between 6 to 20 different melodies
• Songs can vary from 4 to 20 notes and last from 2 to more than 5 seconds
Songs of the Song Sparrow
• During the dawn twilight, males will sing a song every 8 seconds and may average 2,300 songs in a day
• Females are attracted to males that learn and sing a larger variety of songs
Songs of the Song Sparrow
• Song Sparrows prefer to forage on the ground and favor millet seed
• Select seeds based on abundance and easiest to open
• Takes only a few seconds to husk seeds
BackyardBehavior
• Aggressive around feeders and can dominate larger birds
• Have been known to challenge as many as 5 House Sparrows at once
• Rarely feed in flocks to avoid predators
BackyardBehavior
• Song Sparrow nests are usually found under grassy tufts on the ground or in bushes or shrubbery
• Females do most of the nest construction while males defend their territory
NestingBehavior
• Warmer temperatures and abundant food can trigger breeding to begin early
• Song Sparrows with access to millet feeders nested and produced eggs 14 days earlier than those without access to feeders
NestingBehavior
• Nest predators include deer mice, raccoons, minks, rats, snakes and domestic cats
• Adults killed by foxes, and birds such as Cooper’s Hawks
Singingthe Blues
• Song Sparrows are probably parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird more often any other bird
• Studies have shown that 44% of the Song Sparrow nests in Ohio and 85% of those in Ontario were cowbird victims
Singingthe Blues