Description

Distinguishing Features - Short, rounded wings; tail, long with rounded tips. Back, brown with gray feather edging; head, brown with black streaking and a narrow gray centre stripe; rump, olive brown with dusky streaks; tail, brown with two central feathers bearing a dusky central line; white to grayish line above eye; brownish stripes - behind and below the eye and down toward the throat; neck, grayish with light brown streaks; underparts, white; breast, sides and belly, streaked with dark brown or black. Bill, dusky; legs, pale brown. Male and female indistinguishable but female is slightly smaller.

Size - 15.3 - 17.7 cm (6 - 7 in).

Habitat

Shrubby areas along the edge of forests, waterways, farmlands and residential areas.

Nesting

On the ground, shrub or small tree. Nest is made up of grasses, weeds, bark and leaves, lined with fine grass, hair and down. Eggs, 3 - 5; pale shades of blue or green, speckled with brown or reddy-brown blotches. Incubation period 12 - 13 days.

Notes

The Song Sparrow is one of the commonest birds across Canada. It is also one of the most beneficial species as its diet consists of remarkable quantities of weed seeds and insects.

Its spirited and pleasant song is a familiar backround sound of the summer months Sweet Sweet Sweet!

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