Dan's Feathursday Feature: White-throated Sparrow

If there is a musical instrument within reach, and you can at least play a scale on it, I’d like you to try something. A guitar is fine. A piano. Even an accordion. Actually, probably the best instrument is a tin whistle, if you’re willing to admit that you know how to play one.

Ready? Play two notes only. First a D, then a higher G. Play a half note on the D, followed by four quarter notes on the G. No, you started too low. Move it up two octaves. Good. Now, tempo: andante moderato. Mood: tranquillo. If you are playing it on a wind instrument, try to blow as if you are struggling to hold the note on pitch. It’s OK to go flat once in a while. Practice until you are confident, or your dog starts to howl.

You have learned the song of the White-throated Sparrow. Take your instrument outside now and play this little riff and you might get responses from all the White-throated Sparrows in the vicinity. You will also understand why I said a tin whistle might be better than a piano.

The White-throated Sparrow is among the singingest of the unsung heroes of spring migration. When they hit town in early April, on their way up to Wisconsin and Canada, they come in great numbers. But if you are not looking for them, they may go unnoticed. They are about the size of a House Sparrow, and the coloring is also very similar. Walking through a neighborhood park, if you flush half a dozen White-throated Sparrows from the ankle-high grass, you can be forgiven for just assuming that there seem to be more House Sparrows than usual.

But even if the White-throated Sparrow gets lost in the crowd of other little brown birds in spring, there is no missing its song. That high, plaintive D-to-G jump—a thin whistle that sounds as if the bird can’t quite make up its mind which notes to sing, or how long to hold each note—yet somehow the whistle escapes its throat nonetheless. Once in a while, it will mix things up a bit, jumping down from G to D, with a little syncopated bounce on that lower D.

Now that you know what it sounds like, why not also learn what the White-throated Sparrow looks like—at least enough to be able to pick one out of a line-up. Look for a sparrow with a plain gray/brown chest, a daub of yellow between the beak and the eye, a bright white stripe over the eye, and—as the bird’s name suggests—a crisp white throat. The colors are striking…except when they aren’t. While many White-throated Sparrows stand out, with bright white throats and eye lines, just as many are more subdued in color. Their throats and eye lines are soft tan instead of bright white. Don’t give the tan variety short shrift. Their softer colors make them a fun ID challenge, and they sing just as heartily as their brightly colored companions.

On your next walk through the neighborhood, listen for the White-throated Sparrow’s song, and then try to pick one out among all the other little brown birds. For my part, besides looking for this beautiful bird, I’ll also be on the lookout for birders with an accordion or tin whistle in addition to binoculars. When I spot one, I’ll know I’ve found a faithful reader!

Dan's Feathursday Feature is a regular contribution to the COS blog featuring the thoughts, insights and pictures of Chicago birder, Dan Lory on birds of the Chicago region.