Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia · New World Sparrows
Banding codeSOSP
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 6 in long.
2Color pattern
- Heavy brown streaks merging into a central breast spot
- Gray face with brown stripes
- Long rounded tail it pumps in flight
3Habitat & season
Streamside thickets, marsh edges, overgrown yards
In northern Utah: year-round.
Seen most often in November, December, January, February, March and April.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
Two or three clear opening notes, then a buzz and a tumbling trill.
“maids, maids, maids, put on your tea-kettle-ettle-ettle”
iNat 76851883 by Robbie Hannawacker · Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, US-UT, US · CC0
Know it
- Pumps its tail up and down as it flies between bushes.
- Each male sings several distinct song types and switches between them.
- One of the most variable birds in North America, with many regional forms.
Often confused with
House Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finch- Lincoln's Sparrow
- Brewer's Sparrow
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
The song sparrow is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable, and adaptable species.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0