Melospiza Melodia – Song Sparrow

Distinguishing Features – Song Sparrow is short, with rounded wings; tail, long with rounded tips.

Back, brown with gray feather edging; head, brown with black streaking and a narrow gray center stripe; rump, olive brown with dusky streaks; tail, brown with two central feathers bearing a dusky central line; white to the grayish line above eye; brownish stripes – behind and below the eye and down toward the throat; neck, grayish with light brown streaks; underparts, white; breast, sides, and belly, streaked with dark brown or black.

Bill, dusky; legs, pale brown. Male and female are indistinguishable but the female is slightly smaller.

  • Size – 15.3 – 17.7 cm
  • (6 – 7 in)

Song Sparrow

Habitat

Shrubby areas along the edge of forests, waterways, farmlands, and residential areas.

Nesting

On the ground, shrub, or small tree.

Nest is made up of grasses, weeds, bark, and leaves, lined with fine grass, hair, and down.

Eggs, 3 – 5; pale shades of blue or green, speckled with brown or reddy-brown blotches. The incubation period is 12 – 13 days.

Notes

The Song Sparrow is one of the commonest birds across Canada. It is also one of the most beneficial species as its diet consists of remarkable quantities of weed seeds and insects.

Its spirited and pleasant song is a familiar background sound of the summer months, Sweet Sweet Sweet!

Another similar small bird is the Black-capped Chickadee. You can learn more interesting information about it.