Web Analytics Made Easy - Statcounter

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

Song Sparrow

Emberizidae Melospiza

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
formerly: Emberizidae
Genus: Melospiza

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Swiss-German emmeritz bunting or yellow hammer

Gr. melos a song;
Gr. spiza a finch
La. melodia melody

Six inches long. Brown and white streaks back across the crown, brown and black speckles in streaks over its breast and sides of its white underside. Brown and black wing feathers with white borders. Gray tail.

Painting of a song sparrow perched on a plant bud full of seeds.

Song sparrows inhabit woodlands, groves, wetland edges, open country, farms and vacant lots in towns from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S. to central Mexico. Most migrate short distances, some remain resident year around.

USGS map shows song sparrows range from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 degrees latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S.

Song sparrows are spirited singers of many melodies learned from their neighbors. They sing at all times of day and night in fair or foul weather. The purpose is to announce their domain and attract a female.

Song of the song sparrow transcribed by F. Schuyler Mathews

Many suburb dwellers are familiar with their unique melodies as many song sparrows are City Birds and they are wide spread. F. Schuyler Mathews described the Song Sparrow as “The flower of his family, a musician of exceptional ability.”

They pump their tails in flight and characteristically disappear into bushes. When alarmed they always fly downward.

They forage in shrubs, trees and on the ground in areas thick with foliage including backyards for beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, caterpillars and various other available insects and larvae; various grains, occasionally wild fruits and berries and sometimes small snails in shallow waters.

Attract song sparrows. Plant bushes that produce cover and blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, poke berries and bayberries. Also plant black cherry trees, Virginia creeper, and wild grapes.

They like bird baths.

Painting of a song sparrow perched on a thin branch.

Song sparrows build well concealed nests of grass, rootlets, bark shreds and leaves lined with fine grass and hair in trees, bushes, trunk cavities, wood heaps, in vines against sides of houses, usually near or on the ground, sometimes up to six or eight feet, sometimes in open fields.

Females lay four to six, more or less, white speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another week and a half. They raise two or even three broods in a season.

Gilbert H. Trafton, the author of “Bird Friends”, 1916, recommended platforms open on all four sides for Thrashers, Catbirds and Song Birds as did A USGS research center web site and an older version of an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation brochure from which they were later removed for lack of documentation.

If foliage are few, you could try concealing the open platform low behind a bush close to a wall or fence, or amidst a vine covered wall, but then they should prefer the bushes and vines.

Planting the berry bushes, fruit trees and vines is probably the more effective song sparrow attractant.

Home          Birds           Birdhouses          Birdhouse Plans        Birdhouse Forum

Emberizidae Melospiza

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
formerly: Emberizidae
Genus: Melospiza

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Swiss-German emmeritz bunting or yellow hammer

Gr. melos a song;
Gr. spiza a finch
La. melodia melody

Six inches long. Brown and white streaks back across the crown, brown and black speckles in streaks over its breast and sides of its white underside. Brown and black wing feathers with white borders. Gray tail.

Painting of a song sparrow perched on a plant bud full of seeds.

Song sparrows inhabit woodlands, groves, wetland edges, open country, farms and vacant lots in towns from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S. to central Mexico. Most migrate short distances, some remain resident year around.

USGS map shows song sparrows range from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 degrees latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S. to central Mexico.

They are spirited singers of many melodies learned from their neighbors. They sing at all times of day and night in fair or foul weather. The purpose is to announce their domain and attract a female.

Song of the song sparrow transcribed by F. Schuyler Mathews

Many suburb dwellers are familiar with their unique melodies as many song sparrows are City Birds and they are wide spread. F. Schuyler Mathews described the Song Sparrow as “The flower of his family, a musician of exceptional ability.”

They pump their tails in flight and characteristically disappear into bushes. When alarmed they always fly downward.

They forage in shrubs, trees and on the ground in areas thick with foliage including backyards for beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, caterpillars and various other available insects and larvae; various grains, occasionally wild fruits and berries and sometimes small snails in shallow waters.

Attract song sparrows. Plant bushes that produce cover and blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, poke berries and bayberries. Also plant black cherry trees, Virginia creeper, and wild grapes.

They like bird baths.

Painting of a song sparrow perched on a thin branch.

Song sparrows build well concealed nests of grass, rootlets, bark shreds and leaves lined with fine grass and hair in trees, bushes, trunk cavities, wood heaps, in vines against sides of houses, usually near or on the ground, sometimes up to six or eight feet, sometimes in open fields.

Females lay four to six, more or less, white speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another week and a half. They raise two or even three broods in a season.

Gilbert H. Trafton, the author of “Bird Friends”, 1916, recommended platforms open on all four sides for Thrashers, Catbirds and Song Birds as did A USGS research center web site and an older version of an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation brochure from which they were later removed for lack of documentation.

If foliage are few, you could try concealing the open platform low behind a bush close to a wall or fence, or amidst a vine covered wall, but then they should prefer the bushes and vines..

Planting the berry bushes, fruit trees and vines is probably the more effective song sparrow attractant.

Visit the open nesting platform page.

Open Platform 

Select to view or print the open platform plans.

Open Platform Plans

Home            Birds             Birdhouses            Birdhouse Plans          Birdhouse Forum

Song Sparrow

Birds  |  Birdhouses  |  Plans  |  Home

Painting of red-headed woodpecker male adult and juvenile perched on heavy fencing beams.

Emberizidae Melospiza

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
formerly: Emberizidae
Genus: Melospiza

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Swiss-German emmeritz bunting or yellow hammer

Gr. melos a song;
Gr. spiza a finch
La. melodia melody

Six inches long. Brown and white streaks back across the crown, brown and black speckles in streaks over its breast and sides of its white underside. Brown and black wing feathers with white borders. Gray tail.

USGS map shows song sparrows range from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 degrees latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S. to central Mexico.

Song sparrows inhabit woodlands, groves, wetland edges, open country, farms and vacant lots in towns from southern Alaska across Canada below 60 latitude to Newfoundland and throughout the U.S. to central Mexico. Most migrate short distances, some remain resident year around.

They are spirited singers of many melodies learned from their neighbors. They sing at all times of day and night in fair or foul weather. The purpose is to announce their domain and attract a female.

Song sparrow song written to sheet music by F Schuyler Mathews

Many suburb dwellers are familiar with their unique melodies as many song sparrows are City Birds and they are wide spread. F. Schuyler Mathews described the Song Sparrow as “The flower of his family, a musician of exceptional ability.”

Painting of a song sparrow perched on a thin branch.

They pump their tails in flight and characteristically disappear into bushes. When alarmed they always fly downward.

They forage in shrubs, trees and on the ground in areas thick with foliage including backyards for beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, caterpillars and various other available insects and larvae; various grains, occasionally wild fruits and berries and sometimes small snails in shallow waters.

Attract song sparrows. Plant bushes that produce cover and blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, poke berries and bayberries. Also plant black cherry trees, Virginia creeper, and wild grapes.

They like bird baths.

Song sparrows build well concealed nests of grass, rootlets, bark shreds and leaves lined with fine grass and hair in trees, bushes, trunk cavities, wood heaps, in vines against sides of houses, usually near or on the ground, sometimes up to six or eight feet, sometimes in open fields.

Females lay four to six, more or less, white speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another week and a half. They raise two or even three broods in a season.

Visit the open nesting platform page.

Open Platform 

Gilbert H. Trafton, the author of “Bird Friends”, 1916, recommended platforms open on all four sides for Thrashers, Catbirds and Song Birds as did A USGS research center web site and an older version of an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation brochure from which they were later removed for lack of documentation.

 

Select to view or print the open platform plans.

Open Platform Plans

If foliage are few, you could try concealing the open platform low behind a bush close to a wall or fence, or amidst a vine covered wall, but then they should prefer the vines and bushes.

Planting the berry bushes, fruit trees and vines mentioned above is probably the more effective song sparrow attractant.

Birds  |  Birdhouses  |  Plans  |  Forum