BREEDING BIRDS: SONG SPARROW

SONG SPARROW

(Melospiza melodia)

Description: Upperparts are streaked, and a dark stripe borders its whitish throat. Underparts are white with streaking on the sides and breast. There is considerable variation among subspecies, but all have a long, rounded tail that is pumped during flight. Legs and feet are pinkish.

Habitat: Common in brushy areas. Also found in densely-vegetated streamsides, watercourses and marshes.

Diet: Insects, seeds, grass, some berries. Coastal inhabitants eat crustaceans and mollusks.

Displays: Male chases female while fluttering its wings and stretching neck; head and tail are held high.

Nest: Made of grass, leaves and bark strips. Is lined with fine materials like hair or fine grasses. Built beneath brushpiles and shrubs.

Eggs: Pale blue to greenish-white; marked with reddish-brown.

Song: Three or four short clear notes followed by a tow-wee sound, then a trill. Call is a distinctive chimp.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).