The white-throated sparrow is biologically known as the Zonotrichia albicollis. It is considered as a little passerine Ave that is the member of the American sparrow family known as Emberizidae. The group name Zonotrichia Albiocollis is the combination of the Greek and Latin words. The initial part of the name has a Greek background “band,” and thrix, trikhos, meaning “hair.” The second half of the name is derived from the Latin word albus, meaning white, and Collum referring to “neck.” Thus the overall meaning is a small bird with white hair on the neck. They are forest dwellers and mostly live in the Canadian region. In winters they are also found in Eastern and Southern divisions of the North American continent and the California.
These tiny birds are appreciated for their walking style and the musical tones they generate while in the jungle. People see them rarely, so their identification might not be very easy for them.
Table of Contents
1. Identification
These little forest birds are identified because of their facial appearance and the sounds. The sharp facial features are something that helps to recognize them when around. Besides this, they have a peculiar walking style which makes them a fascination member of the aves family. They look fascinating because they hop in a very attractive manner. The physical appearance of the species is eye catching. Their eyes have a black stripe around them. They wear a white colored crown like thing on their heads along with the supercilium. They are usually identified with the help of their apparent features that include the yellow lore, the black whiskers around the white throat and the malar stripe. One more feature that makes them an outstanding creature is the beautiful musical notes they generate in the pattern of a wavering whistle.
2. Size and Shape
It is not difficult to identify these birds by their size and shape. When it is a question of size, they are sufficiently large. The shape is not much different from commonly seen sparrows. They have a fully developed body in the adult birds. A round head on the top, with Bill, thin but long legs, and a relatively long tail are the key characteristics of the white-throated sparrow. Usually, the measurements reveal that they are 15 cm long while the wings spread up to 23 cm. The weight is found to be between approx. 22 and 32 grams. Keeping in view the different species the biologists have found their average weight to be 26 grams approx. The other parts of the body measure differently: the wing cord has a length of approximately 6.3 cm, the tail, and the bill measures 6.7 to 7.8 cm and 1 to 1.3 cm respectively3. Their looks are just like the white-crowned sparrow, but they can be easily distinguished due to their yellow lore and white throat markings.
3. Color Pattern
They have exquisite patterns all over the body. The body color is also very attractive. The light shades of gray and brown covering the entire length and width of the body make them look fascinating. The colors are split into the upper and lower body. The top has the shades of a brown while from the lower; the gray colors become prominent. The head, on the other hand, has intricate patterns. The head stands out because it is affixed to the bright white throat and the yellow lore. The head stripes are not white, but they are tan which adds further colors to the appearance.
Based on the colors they are classified into two major divisions’ namely tan-striped and white-striped forms. In the latter kind of sparrow, the black crown has the embellishment of the white central stripe and the white supercilium. In this kind of the sparrows, the particulars have a grayish appearance and also have a black eye line. The second classification based on colors is the tan breed, in which the dark brown color predominates the crown. The shades of tan and brown continue in the supercilium. As compared to the former variation the particulars are either gray or light brown, while the eye has a brown eye line. What exists as the common feature among all is the dark eyes, yellow lore, gray bill and white throat.
4. Behavior
These species are mostly traced in the central areas of Canada and the New England. Instead of nesting in high and tall trees, their favorite nesting areas are close to the ground. They also reside in the low growing plantations like the shrubs and the deciduous trees. They keep migrating in winter to look for the suitable habitat. All through the year, their presence is found near the Atlantic zone of Canada. In winters they prefer migrating to the southern and the western parts of the United States. They look for they food near the ground. Usually, they are seen hunting through the leaves that are found on the ground. The major dietary components include seeds, insects, tiny fruits and the domestically placed bird’s food in the feeders. As they are low flight and weak animals, they can be easily targeted by the predators like hawks, and owls.
5. Habitat
Those who are keen to have a closer look on these beautiful, melodious birds finds them in the thick forests or woods. They are also easily found near the small water reservoirs like the ponds. These birds prefer living in the thickets, dense fields, suburbs constituted by the wood. The backyards that facilitate the birds with feed also cater the presence of the white throated bird. In summer season they love to stay in the conifers and the delicious forests of the northeastern U.S., the northern Midwest, and Canada. In winters they migrate to areas that include hedgerows, thickets, woodlots, weedy fields, backyards, city parks, and suburbs.
6. Backyard Tips
Backyards are a great place for the white-throated sparrows. The feeders added to the backyard attract the birds immensely. As they love staying near the ground, therefore, they feed on the seeds that are scattered in backyard. Their favorite feed is the millets and the sunflower seeds. Brush piling in the backyard gives refuge to these lovely musical creatures when they keep coming to the yard as a frequent visitor.
7. Sounds and Calls
Although all sparrows make sweet sounds, the most distinguishing trait of the white-throated sparrow is their lovely sounds. They are melodious, heart touching, and above all, they give a sense of merriment and life to the birds flying around. White sparrows are not merely pretty in their appearance but equally impressive in their sounds and calls. They show a wave-like fluctuation in the pitch, the second or third note. They love singing all round the clock. The total duration of the complete song is 4 seconds. The singing season is mostly during their hibernation days. The winter season is also marked with short duration musical notes. The males and the white striped female both are great singers. The singing skills of the tan females are not very common.
When the bird is annoyed or irritated, it produces a sharp and fiery chirp. In this condition, these birds raise the crown feathers and flick their tails. Usually, they make a call when they are threatened by the presence of any enemy that is found close to their nesting or the young ones. One other form of the call is a chip up that is separated into two parts. This usually happens when the bird is showing anger towards another bird of its kind. In the flock, the call is referred as seep. The mating time is also marked with the call. When the male birds are aggressive and angry, they move their heads and flutter their wings.
8. Life History
There are two broad variations of this bird that are classified according to their color. These two broad categories include White-crowned and tan-crowned. This distinction is because of their peculiar genetic characteristics. The genetic crossing of these beautiful flying creatures is a popular thing among the scientists to give birth to more and better versions. The birds are also interested in the opposite group. The white striped female sparrow is an attractive mating choice for the males of both the types. The white sparrows show the aggressive attitude very often. On the time of mating if the two opposite females come across one male then the tan females show their power. The hybrids are also produced by the coupling of the White-throated Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco. The offsprings that are born as a result of this coupling are gray in color and have dull marks covering their body. The tail of these sparrows is white in tail.