Feed Us And We'll Sing For You

One of the most pleasant birds in the Winter back yard is the White-Throated Sparrow. They are relatively shy birds wanting to stay in the brush of the woods. However, they will peck at seed below the main feeder area here. I give them sunflower hearts under the butterfly bushes since they are normally ground scratchers. The butterfly bushes give them some protection from hawks and make them feel more comfortable.  The butterfly bushes are about 15 feet from the brush area.  The images below were taken towards the front of the brush area where they congregate before they fly to the seed under the butterfly bushes.

As Winter progresses, these little guys gain confidence in me. In fact, they become happy to see me. When they see me outside, they rise to higher levels in the brush and some of them begin to sing. Several others begin congregating in the brush and rise towards the top of the brush. There are two types of white-throats: tan and white. The bird above is tan. Note the tan color behind its eye.

Below are two whites. Note the white color behind their eyes. In the lower right of the image, you will see the second white. In addition to their song, they chirp in single chirps. I've counted from 2 to 7 individual chirps in a series. It seems that these chirps are for each other to hear and I have no idea what they mean. They arrive here in November for the Winter and leave the next May to breed.

 
(Originally published on January 10, 2010)
 
White-Throated Sparrow