A Bird’s View from Winds Way | Little Brown Birds

One of my favorite winter birds, one of 35 sparrows native to North America, is the White-throated Sparrow. Their lovely thin whistled song “Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada” is easy to learn and recognize and is produced all year long. White-throats nest across Canada and spend winters with us. You will usually see them near thickets, in overgrown fields, parks, or in woodsy areas scratching for food amongst the leaves. This is one of many reasons it is so important not to remove all your fallen leaves! The insects that form the basis of the food web need places to overwinter. And the birds need those insects. While all White-throats have a white throat, they come in two morphs – one with white and black stripes on the crown of their heads and the other with tan and black crown stripes. You will see both morphs here. They also have a yellow spot between their eye and bill. A large, plump sparrow with a long tail and small bill, these birds are more than happy to visit your feeders and will be especially content if you provide a heated bird bath and create a brush pile in which to shelter from winter storms.

Another ground-foraging sparrow but one that nests in the Northeast as well as in Canada, is the Song Sparrow. They are found throughout North America and are amongst the most abundant and adaptable of our native sparrows. They are also incredibly variable in different parts of the country – both in coloration and vocalizations. Song Sparrows here are russet and gray with bold streaks down white chests. These streaks converge into a central spot often described by birders as a “stick pin”. While you will see them searching for insects in leaf litter, they are also happy to visit bird feeders, where they prefer to forage on the ground. The male of the species uses song to attract mates and to defend his territory. Research has shown that females are most attracted to males who not only sing their song well but also incorporate components learned from an older bird.

Chipping Sparrows are a slender, smallish sparrow with a bright rusty crown, black eyeline, and an unstreaked grayish belly. They have always seemed to me to be a rather cheery little bird. While non-breeding birds are paler than breeding birds, the black eyeline is always visible. They are short distance migrators that nest in our area but are not likely to remain here for the winter. While common across the continent, the overall species has declined by about one-third. Chipping Sparrows feed on the ground and will come to feeders for seeds but to feed their young they must forage for the insects. They like to take cover in shrubs and often sing from the tops of small trees. The female builds the nest by herself while the male stands guard. She can be finicky about location and will often start a nest and then leave and begin again in another spot. The completed nest is a loose cup of small twigs and dried grasses lined with animal hair and fine plant fibers.

An unusual sparrow for me is the Swamp Sparrow. Medium sized with a rounded tail, gray face and collar, rusty cap with a dark line through the eye, and extensive reddish brown in the wings, these birds nest only in wetlands. They perch and forage in vegetation near to the ground or water surface and are especially well suited to their preferred habitat because of their long legs, which allow them to run easily through grasses. Swamp Sparrows can be spotted in our area year-round.

Perhaps my favorite, though infrequent, winter visitor is the Fox Sparrow. This large, rather chunky sparrow is usually seen sending up a spray of leaf litter as it kicks around with both feet in search of food. It is happiest near a dense thicket and is another sparrow that will thank you for creating a brush pile. Named for its rich red hues, this is nevertheless one of our most variable birds. There are four main groups ranging from foxy red to gray to dark brown. Here in the East we are treated to the foxy red.

There are so many more species of little brown birds to enjoy! I would love to hear what you’re seeing. And I would like to thank my husband for his photographs. Richard, however, wants me to be sure and tell you that he has no fancy camera and uses only a small point-and-shoot! In other words, we can all become observers and recorders of the natural world. Happy birding!

A Bird’s View from Winds Way is a monthly column by one of our board members and avid birder, Nancy Gilbert — with photos from her husband Richard Wines — on our local birds. Nancy’s columns appear on our blog, so please tune in each month for more from Winds Way.

About the Author

Nancy Gilbert is a board member and a conservation easement donor — as well as avid bird enthusiast and master gardener. In December 2001, Nancy and her husband Richard Wines, donated a conservation easement to the Trust on their property, Winds Way, in Jamesport. This easement protects 9.9 acres of agricultural land as well as 1.7 acres of scenic beachfront woodlands and wetlands on Great Peconic Bay. Also protected by the easement are the facades of the historic buildings located within the 3.2-acre development area, including a Greek-Revival residence, an historic barn, and a mid-19th century one-room schoolhouse. You can learn more about Winds Way and its history on their website: windswayfarm.com