The White-throated Sparrow
can have head stripes of either white (see photo to the right) or tan (see photo
#1 on the bottom) alternating with
black Curiously, White-throated Sparrows nearly always mate with opposite sex members
of the alternate color morph. Other curious differences occur between the
color morphs: 1) White-striped females sing, but tan-striped females do not, 2)
white-striped males are generally more aggressive and do more singing than
tan-striped males, and 3) tan-striped male and white-striped female pairs tend
to bond more quickly than the opposite combination.
forest edges, residential areas, shelterbelts.
Diet: Primarily insects during the summer, seeds and
berries in the fall and winter. Will attend bird feeders for commonly
Behavior: Primarily forages on the ground,
typically near or beneath thick vegetation.
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota.
Migration: Summers in New England, the Great Lakes Region, and much
of Canada. Winters in the southeastern third of the United States and
Bird Feeders: Will attend feeders for various
seeds, strongly preferring tray feeders or seed scattered on the ground.
Conservation Status: Numbers appear to be stable.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology - White-throated Sparrow
eNature.com - White-throated Sparrow
Photo Information: Both Photos: April 28th, 2003 --
Newton Hills State Park -- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution White-throated Sparrow photos.