Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia 
Sparrow family (Emberizidae)

Medium-sized sparrow, 5 ½” long. White breast with brown streaks and a large dark central spot, reddish-brown crown with a gray central stripe, white throat.

Habitat:
Dense thickets with tall grasses and shrubs.

Nesting:
Cup-like nest of grasses placed on the ground. Eggs are greenish white with dark marks. Clutch size – 3 to 5 eggs.

Voice:

Song is a few repeated notes followed by a rich and varied warble.  Calls include “tsip” and ”tchump”.

Name Origin:

Melospiza:  melos, Greek for “song”; spiza, Greek for “finch”; melodia, Greek and Latin for “pleasant song”

In the Nature Park:
Year-round resident. Common in meadows and shrub thickets. Males sing frequently during spring and summer from a mid-height perch.

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