December 2025

White-Throated Sparrows have a song of “Oh, Sweet Canada Canada Canada.” though the  bird’s song is changing, thanks to a “remixed” version first found in Canada. Instead of a three-syllable “Canada”, some birds now sing “cana”. A song that rings through clear, cold winter mornings.  

If you watch the ground under your feeders, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of this large, colorful sparrow. While they are here, they can easily be spotted almost anywhere with grass and fallen leaves Coming in at an impressive 6-7″ length, they sport a bright white throat patch, yellow patches in front of their eyes and dark stripes on their crown. The more fruit an individual eats during their fall molting season, the brighter the yellow on their face! Some individuals have white stripes between the black stripes on their heads, while others have brown. In addition, the white-striped birds are more assertive, while the brown-striped individuals are more nurturing.

Although we get to enjoy them in the winter, they’ll be heading back to Canada and far northern states in the spring to nest. Watch them scratch-and-hop around, looking for seeds and other morsels hidden in snow or leaf litter, or feasting on berries in fall. To bring more of them to your yard, fill a tray feeder with millet and place it close to the ground and don’t forget a weather guard to keep the rain off!