White-throated sparrow

Language English

Onglets

Description

Distinguishing features

These sparrows have a grey breast, a white throat, and a yellow spot between the eye and bill. The stripes on their head can be either buff and brown or black and white.

Their distinctive song sounds like saying “Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.”

Reproduction

In April, the males arrive on the breeding territories about two weeks before the females. They sing a lot and can be very aggressive when it comes to defending their territory.

Once settled, they attract the females with their characteristic songs.

Nests are built near the ground, at the foot of trees or bushes so they are hidden and protected.

Females generally produce a single clutch of 4 to 6 eggs. Incubation lasts from 11 to 15 days, and the young leave the nest around 14 days later.

Diet

White-throated sparrows are omnivorous. In the summer, they primarily feed on insects and spiders, while in the winter their diet consists mainly of seeds and berries.

The seasonal variation in diet allows them to adapt to the resources available throughout the year.

Fledglings are fed mostly with insect larvae and caterpillars.

Predators

During the nesting period, the parents emit distress calls when danger arises. This attracts their fellow sparrows and other birds in the area to mob the potential predator.

This sparrow prefers habitats with dense vegetation, which offers protection against birds of prey (merlin, Cooper’s hawk, etc.) and opportunistic mammals (raccoon, red fox, etc.).

They also face nest raiders (red squirrels, blue jays, Canada jays, etc.), which prey on eggs or hatchlings.

Habitat

These birds are primarily found on the outskirts of mixed or coniferous forests. They nest in regenerating semi-open woodlands.

In Quebec, they can also be found in suburbs and rural areas, groves, along roadsides, lakes, rivers, and occasionally in uncultivated fields.

Ecology, behaviour

White-throated sparrows are short-distance migrants that arrive very early in the spring, much to the delight of birdwatchers.

They play an essential role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations and dispersing seeds.

Although white-throated sparrows are relatively common, they face threats such as habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization. Thanks to participatory science, annual inventories are carried out by volunteers (eBird) help monitor populations.

French name

Bruant à gorge blanche

Scientific name

Zonotrichia albicollis

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Birds

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Passerellidae

Size

Length: 16 to 18 cm

Weight

Average: 25.9 g (19.0 to 35.4)

Life span

Record: 9 years 8 months

Status

Least Concern (IUCN). Common species: one of the most common sparrows in Québec in summer.

At the Biodôme

The white-throated sparrow can be seen in the Laurentian Maple Forest ecosystem.

It feeds on a homemade mix of seeds, provender for insectivores, and berries that it finds naturally within the ecosystem.

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