About the Song Sparrow
The song sparrow is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable, and adaptable species.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Adult song sparrows have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is gray with a brown streak through each eye. They are highly variable in size across numerous subspecies (for subspecies details, see below). The body length ranges from 11 to 18 cm (4.3 to 7.1 in) and wingspan can range from 18 to 25.4 cm (7.1 to 10.0 in). Body mass ranges from 11.9 to 53 g (0.42 to 1.87 oz). The average of all races is 32 g (1. Voice: The sparrow species derives its name from its colorful repertoire of songs. Enthusiasts report that one of the songs heard often in suburban locations closely resembles the opening four notes of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The male uses a fairly complex song to declare ownership of its territory and attract females.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Song Sparrow sounds like
Where the Song Sparrow lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Belgium, Sweden, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Guatemala, Germany, Greenland.
When to see the Song Sparrow
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaMeasurements:
Length: 4.7–5.9 in (12–15 cm)
Weight: 0.5–0.8 oz (15–23 g)
Wingspan: 7.1–7.5 in (18–19 cm)
Adults have streaked rusty, buff and black upperparts with an unstreaked gray breast, light belly and a white throat.
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiAdults have dark-streaked olive-brown upperparts and a light brown breast with fine streaks, a white belly, and a white throat.
Side by side: Song Sparrow vs Swamp Sparrow · Lincoln's Sparrow vs Song Sparrow
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