White-throated sparrow, white stripe morph, 2010. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

White throated sparrow, tan morph, 2010. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

white-throated sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Identification: 
This is a rather plump and handsome sparrow.  It exhibits plumage polymorphism: there are two morphs, “white-striped” and “tan-striped.” The stripes are on the head.  Both morphs have yellow lores (the spot between the beak and the eye), white throats, brown/black/tan backs, and faint streaks on an otherwise plain front.  

Behavior:
The white-throated sparrow is a ground nester; it builds a nest with three layers: moss followed by walls of twigs and other materials, finished off with a lining made with finer materials.  This bird also forages on the ground, often scratching at the leaf bed to uncover food.  Its song is a sweet, plaintive “hear sam peabody peabody peabody.” 

What brings it to the SBG?
Food, cover.  The white-throat winters in this region, and frequents thickets, yards, and wooded areas – precisely the kind of vegetation that is plentiful at the SBG.

When can I see it?
Mainly in winter.  It migrates northward to its breeding grounds in spring and doesn’t return until cool weather sets in.