Species

Song sparrow

Melospiza melodia

A streaky brown sparrow that sings from shrubs year-round, one of North America's most familiar songbirds.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Communication

At a glance

Size: About 12 to 17 cm long
Weight: About 12 to 53 g
Habitat: Shrubby edges, gardens, wetlands and fields
Diet: Seeds and insects
In Georgia: A common resident in the north; a common winter visitor everywhere
Voice: A cheerful song of notes and trills
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Streaked brown; central breast spot; long, rounded tail pumped in flight
Told apart from: Savannah sparrow, which has a yellow eyebrow
Told apart from: Fox sparrow, which is larger and redder
Where to look: Shrubby edges and near water

Behaviour

Song sparrows sing from exposed perches and pump their tails in flight. Each male knows several song types.

Why they matter

Song sparrows are among the most studied songbirds in the world. Research on them has shaped how scientists understand territory, song learning and population change.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cup on the ground or in a shrub
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 10 to 12 days
Lifespan — A few years

Living around people

Shrubs near water and in gardens support them.

Misconceptions

Sparrows only chirp. Song sparrows sing long, varied songs.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering birds join residents	Singing	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Second broods	Young fledging	Present	Present	Wintering birds arriving	Present	Present

Where it lives

Recorded in 69 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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