May Backyard Sparrows

White-crowned Sparrow by the Pulmonaria plant I took from Grandma D's garden in the 1980s

 Migrant birds have travelled north earlier and faster than usual this year. This week I had the pleasure of watching White-throated Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows in our backyard. They rarely arrive together as the White-crowned Sparrows usually appear about two weeks after the White-throated Sparrows. I will clean up the flower beds once they are gone as they love to forage on the ground and eat seeds from last year's flowers. 

White-throated Sparrow by a Flowering Almond shrub. It has yellow lores on its face.

White-throated Sparrows have a beautiful song and share their music during the few weeks they are here each spring and fall. They will continue to move north for the breeding season. 

Chipping Sparrow

Another recent arrival is the Chipping Sparrow. It breeds here and we enjoy the chipping trill all summer. They have a distinctive chestnut cap and are relatively smaller than many sparrows.

Male House Sparrow with nesting material

The House Sparrow is a non-native bird that stays around all year. It came from Europe and has adapted well to urban environments in North America. A pair nest in a cavity in the street light in front of our house and they like to visit the bird bath and feeder. Most people try to ignore their harsh chatter and messy ways but they are resilient and ever-present in parking lots and shopping areas.

Dark-eyed Junco

The Dark-eyed Junco is a sparrow that overwinters in southern Ontario. Most have headed back north but one was still in the garden this week. Their call is similar to the Chipping Sparrow to my ear and they are more vocal in the spring than in the winter. American Tree Sparrows also spend winters here but I haven't seen one since mid-April. Fox Sparrows move through to northern nesting grounds and sometimes stop in our yard for a day or two.

Several other sparrows are found in meadows and woodlands rather than suburban backyards. I will see Song Sparrows, Field Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows and more in parks and rural areas throughout the summer. "Little brown birds", like most people, are not flashy but are diverse and interesting when you get to know them.