Sparrow

Sparrow is the name given to several unrelated groups of birds. Sparrows are classified in 3 families: Emberizidae, which includes New World sparrows; Estrildidae; and Passeridae, which includes the familiar HOUSE SPARROW. About 25 species of the family Emberizidae regularly occur in Canada.

Description

Sparrows are small to medium-sized, ranging in length from LeConte's sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), as small as 11 cm, to the spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus), up to 21 cm.

Generally, sparrows have dull plumage with distinctive head markings; the exceptions are the brightly coloured towhees and the sharply patterned juncos. Males and females of most species are similar in size and plumage; for example, male and female song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), widespread in Canada, are virtually indistinguishable by plumage alone.

Song

Usually, only males sing; thus a singing song sparrow is almost certainly male. Songs differ considerably among species. Lark sparrows (Chondestes grammacus), of dry fields with scattered bushes and trees, sing long, melodious songs containing many trills. White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), of coniferous and mixed forests, utter songs of pure tone; one rendition, paraphrased as "Oh sweet Canada Canada Canada," has given them the local name Canada bird. Grasshopper sparrows (A. savannarum), of grassy fields in extreme southern Canada, give tuneless, insectlike reelings. Henslow's sparrow (A. henslowii), of weedy fields of southern Ontario, gives one of the poorest vocal efforts of any bird, a hiccoughing "tsi-lick."

Diet

Primarily ground feeders, sparrows eat mostly seeds, although insects are eaten in summer. Adults of most species feed insects to young.

Migration

All species of sparrows in Canada are migratory to some extent. American tree sparrows (Spizella arborea) nest in scrub willow of the Subarctic and winter in southern Canada and northern US. Clay-coloured sparrows (S. pallida), of brush-covered prairies, winter in Mexico. The Ipswich sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis princeps), a well-marked subspecies of the widely distributed savannah sparrow (P. sandwichensis), breeds only on SABLE ISLAND and winters on the Atlantic seaboard.

Author RICHARD W. KNAPTON Revised: TYLER HOAR

Suggested Reading
Tyler Hoar, Ken De Smet and Wayne Campbell, Birds of Canada (2010).

Links to Other Sites
Endangered Species in Endangered Spaces
An informative website about rare and endangered plants and animals in the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia. Click on the menu at the left side of the page for information about specific species. From the Royal British Columbia Musuem.

All About Birds
Search this online bird identification guide for information on specific bird species found in North America. Click on the dynamic map of eBird sightings for a magnified view. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the US.

Canadian Biodiversity Website
A great information source for all budding biologists. Learn about biodiversity theory, natural history, and conservation issues. From McGill’s Redpath Museum.

Species at Risk Public Registry
A searchable database of Canadian species at risk. Provides illustrated natural histories of each species as well as information about recovery programs, a glossary, and more. From Environment Canada.