What does the White-throated Sparrow song sound like?
Play the real White-throated Sparrow song, the "Oh-sweet-canada-canada", and learn what to listen for.
What the White-throated Sparrow song sounds like
A clear, whistled song of 5–7 notes. Often rendered as "Oh sweet Canada Canada" or in the U.S. as "Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody." It starts with two long, high-pitched whistles on one pitch, then typically drops to a different pitch for a series of shorter notes (usually two or three triplet syllables). The whistles are pure-toned and the ensuing notes have a sweet, musical quality, though the exact pattern can vary regionally and individually.
“Oh-sweet-canada-canada”
How to find the bird singing it
Forest edges, brushy understories, and thickets. Breeds in the northern forests (boreal conifer and mixed woodlands) and in brushy areas in Canada and the northeastern US, often where there is dense ground cover. In winter, common in wooded suburbs, hedgerows, and overgrown fields, especially with leaf litter to scratch in. Often found in flocks on the ground in woodlands or along wooded edges.
- Head Pattern: Bold crown stripes: either bright white with black stripes (white-striped morph) or tan with dark brown stripes (tan-striped morph). Look for the brilliant lemon-yellow spot between each eye and the bill (the lore) on both morphs. Eyebrow line is prominent (white or tan) and there is a thin dark eyeline. A conspicuous pure white throat patch is outlined by a thin black border, setting it off from the gray breast.
- Bill: Grayish to bluish-gray bill (not bright pink or orange). Upper mandible often darker than lower. Conical shape for seed-crushing. In juveniles the bill may be dull brownish, but in adults it looks slate-gray and contrasts with the yellow lore spots.
- Back and Wings: Warm brown with dark brown/black streaks. There may be touches of rusty color on the upper back and shoulders. The wing feathers are brown with lighter edges and show two faint wingbars (not as bold as some sparrows).
When you'll hear it
Spring
Plumage is fresh from late winter molt: head stripes are vivid on white-striped birds (crisp white and jet black) and the yellow lores are bright. Birds migrate north through the US in March-April. Males sing frequently ("Oh-sweet-Canada" whistles) during migration and upon reaching breeding territories. Breeding pairs form and nest building occurs by late spring. Both color morphs are present on territories (mixed pairs).
Summer
On territory in northern forests. Males perch in trees or shrubs to sing their clear whistles throughout early summer. They nest on or near the ground; by mid-summer, adults are often busy feeding fledglings and become more secretive. Plumage can wear a bit, but adults still retain their stripe patterns (though white stripes may appear dingy). Juvenile White-throated Sparrows in summer are brown and heavily streaked overall, lacking the bold head pattern; they acquire the adult-like head stripes during the fall molt.
Fall
Adults and juveniles migrate south starting in September. They molt into basic (non-breeding) plumage in late summer/early fall: this looks very similar to breeding plumage for adults, though white-striped morphs often have the white head stripes slightly less pure white (a bit buffy) and the black a bit browner-edged in fall. Tan-striped morphs look similar year-round. During fall migration, many birds (especially young-of-year) may show tan-and-brown head stripes; some of those will be tan-morph, others are young white-morph that haven't got bright white yet. They begin forming flocks as they arrive on wintering grounds.
Winter
Wears basic plumage. White-striped morphs often still show contrasting head stripes (white may be cream-colored and black may be brownish, but pattern obvious), while tan-morphs show dull tan and brown stripes. Both have yellow lores, though it can be less intense in winter. They spend winter in flocks on the ground, often in wooded or brushy areas. You may hear their songs occasionally on warm winter days, but mostly they give sharp call notes as they forage. By late winter, some begin partial molt (pre-alternate) that brightens them slightly for spring.
Don’t confuse it with
Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.
White-crowned Sparrow
Lacks the white throat and yellow lore. White-crowned Sparrows have a plain gray face with bold black-and-white crown stripes and an orange or pink bill. Juvenile White-crowned have brown-and-tan crown stripes but still a plain throat and no yellow by the eye. White-throated always shows the white throat patch and yellow lores which White-crowned doesn't have. White-throated also tends to stay in more wooded, leaf-litter habitats than White-crowned in winter.
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrows have streaked breasts with a central dark spot and a heavily streaked overall appearance. They do not have the crisp head pattern or white throat. Instead, Song Sparrows have a gray stripe over the eye and a brown eye-line but nothing as bold as the White-throated's black/white crown and yellow lore. Their bill is usually brownish, not bluish-gray. Song Sparrows also habitually pump their tails and are more slender in shape.