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Last week, I was on the topic of a delightful little bird, the brown creeper. I guess some other little brown birds are shouldering in on the action because they want their stories told, too! Many people are familiar with sparrows; they seem to be everywhere and, anymore, on most days may be the only birds we notice.
The common sparrow we see noisily chirping outside every shop while building its messy nest, or gathered in large numbers around parking lots and parks, is the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). It is not native to the United States. Fifty pairs were introduced to Brooklyn, New York in 1852 and within 50 years had completely covered the United States and most of North America. Now, they outcompete native birds for cavity nests such as bluebirds, chickadees, and titmice, further threatening their decline.
However, not all sparrows are created equal. There are some charming little brown birds that are native to the Midwest and have sparrow as their "sir name;" here are just a few.
White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are king of the sparrow world. Large and stately, they wear a bold black and white striped "crown," this sparrow is anything but homely. You will see these beauties throughout Missouri and Kansas near the ground where cover is close by.
The white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is one of my favorites and a common visitor to area feeders. Similar to the white-crowned sparrow with a black eye stripe and black and white skull stripes, this sparrow has a bright patch of yellow color between both eyes, as if it were wearing eye shadow. They are one of the smaller sparrows being only 6 3/4 inches from tip to tail. White-throated sparrows are cheery little birds singing even through winter. People who are called "birders," enjoy watching birds, going on hikes in search of birds, and even plan their vacations around good "birding" sites. Birders will often put words to a bird song in order to remember it better. A white throated sparrow's song is a clear high-pitched voice that sings out, "Oh, Sweet Canada."
Fox sparrows (Passerella iliaca) are amusing little birds to watch. While they may visit feeder areas, you are more likely to see them off to the side in the brush areas scratching for tidbits. The fox trot is not their dance, but it might as well be, as they use both feet to scratch and hop, forward and back in one motion while searching for seeds. Fox sparrows have a sienna brown coloring, hence their name.
Last week, I was on the topic of a delightful little bird, the brown creeper. I guess some other little brown birds are shouldering in on the action because they want their stories told, too! Many people are familiar with sparrows; they seem to be everywhere and, anymore, on most days may be the only birds we notice.
The common sparrow we see noisily chirping outside every shop while building its messy nest, or gathered in large numbers around parking lots and parks, is the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). It is not native to the United States. Fifty pairs were introduced to Brooklyn, New York in 1852 and within 50 years had completely covered the United States and most of North America. Now, they outcompete native birds for cavity nests such as bluebirds, chickadees, and titmice, further threatening their decline.
However, not all sparrows are created equal. There are some charming little brown birds that are native to the Midwest and have sparrow as their "sir name;" here are just a few.
White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are king of the sparrow world. Large and stately, they wear a bold black and white striped "crown," this sparrow is anything but homely. You will see these beauties throughout Missouri and Kansas near the ground where cover is close by.
The white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is one of my favorites and a common visitor to area feeders. Similar to the white-crowned sparrow with a black eye stripe and black and white skull stripes, this sparrow has a bright patch of yellow color between both eyes, as if it were wearing eye shadow. They are one of the smaller sparrows being only 6 3/4 inches from tip to tail. White-throated sparrows are cheery little birds singing even through winter. People who are called "birders," enjoy watching birds, going on hikes in search of birds, and even plan their vacations around good "birding" sites. Birders will often put words to a bird song in order to remember it better. A white throated sparrow's song is a clear high-pitched voice that sings out, "Oh, Sweet Canada."
Fox sparrows (Passerella iliaca) are amusing little birds to watch. While they may visit feeder areas, you are more likely to see them off to the side in the brush areas scratching for tidbits. The fox trot is not their dance, but it might as well be, as they use both feet to scratch and hop, forward and back in one motion while searching for seeds. Fox sparrows have a sienna brown coloring, hence their name.
Since not often seen, it is always considered a lucky day to spot a beloved Harris' Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula). While considered visitors only to the northern parts of Missouri and Kansas, I routinely see them in the Louisburg, Kan., area...actually, if not more abundant than in the Kansas City area. At seven and a half inches, these are large for sparrows, but sparrows they are, with a black face, crown, and bib (although it always looks like a dripping bib to me) surrounded by a white rounded belly. They may be easily confused with house sparrows except for their pink beaks; house sparrows' beaks are gray. According to Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Harris’ sparrows are the only songbird whose breeding range is exclusively within Canada.
All of these "little brown birds" can brighten any day if they visit your feeder and can be attracted using black-oil sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts or chips. Remember they are sparrows, so do not expect them to eat from tube feeders. You will need platform feeders, or areas on the ground where the seeds fall. Make the area safe from neighborhood cats by putting the feed by bushes, shrubs, or build a brush pile. Entice these little birds to your home and garden and see what stories they may share with you!
Lynn Youngblood is a Kansas City-based naturalist.
