The White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is a member of the New World sparrow family Passerellidae.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
In
InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
He
HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
Gr
GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Se
Serial monogamySerial monogamy is a mating system in which a pair bonds only for one breeding season.
So
SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
Mi
MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
W
starts withThe White-throated sparrow measures 15 to 19 cm (5.9 to 7.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 23 cm (9.1 in). The typical weight is 22 to 32 g (0.78 to 1.13 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.3 to 7.9 cm (2.5 to 3.1 in), the tail is 6.8 to 7.7 cm (2.7 to 3.0 in), the bill is 1 to 1.2 cm (0.39 to 0.47 in) and the tarsus is 2.2 to 2.4 cm (0.87 to 0.94 in). They are similar in appearance to the White-crowned sparrow, but with white throat markings and yellow lores.
There are two adult plumage variations known as the tan-striped and white-striped forms. On the white-striped form, the crown is black with a white central stripe. The supercilium is white as well. The auriculars are gray with the upper edge forming a black eye line.
On the tan form, the crown is dark brown with a tan central stripe. The supercilium is tan as well. The auriculars are gray/light brown with the upper edge forming a brown eye line. Both variations feature dark eyes, a white throat, yellow lores, and a gray bill. There is variation and some individuals may show dark lateral stripes of each side of the throat.
They almost always pair with the opposite color morph for breeding. The two color morphs occur in approximately equal numbers. Both male and female white-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped birds during the breeding season. The aggression is because of the high level of estrogen receptor alpha in white-striped birds.
The breast has gray/tan streaks and the streaks continue down the flanks but the belly is generally light gray. The wings are rufous with two distinct white wing bars. Sexes are morphologically similar.
White-throated sparrows breed in central Canada and the Northeastern United States. In winter, they migrate to the southern and eastern United States but some populations stay year-round in the Atlantic provinces of Canada. White-throated sparrows inhabit coniferous or deciduous forests, along edges of woodlots, shrubland, hedgerows, suburbs, and urban areas.
When not breeding, White-throated sparrows often form large flocks that forage together. They are active during the day and spend most of their time foraging on the ground under or near thickets or in low vegetation. White-throated sparrows have two distinct songs; one consists of an initial note, followed by three or so repeated notes at an interval of about a major third above. The second song consists of an initial note, a second a whole step lower, and a third note, repeated two or three times, about a minor third below that. This second song is commonly described by the use of mnemonics with the cadence of "Po-or Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" (or "O-oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada").
White-throated sparrows are carnivores (insectivores) and herbivores (granivores). They mainly eat seeds, insects, and in autumn berries. They are also attracted to bird feeders.
White-throated sparrows are serially monogamous and form pairs only for one breeding season. They breed in spring and nest either on the ground under shrubs or low in trees. Females lay 3 to 5 brown-marked blue or green-white eggs and raise 1 or 2 broods per year. The incubation period lasts for 11-14 days and chicks hatch with their eyes closed and almost naked. The young remain in the nest for about 7-12 days and start to breed when they are 1 year old.
This species doesn’t face any major threats at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the White-throated sparrow is 160 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red Lis but its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...