Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia
Sparrow family (Emberizidae)

Habitat:
Dense thickets with tall grasses and shrubs.

Description:
Medium-sized sparrow, 5 ½” long.  White breast with brown streaks and
a large dark central spot, reddish-brown crown with a gray central stripe, white throat.

Nesting:
Cup-like nest of grasses placed on the ground.  Eggs are greenish white with dark marks.  Clutch size – 3 to 5 eggs.

Song:
Song is a few repeated notes followed by a rich and varied warble.  Calls include “tsip” and ”tchump”.

Name Origin:
Melospiza:  melos, Greek for “song”; spiza, Greek for “finch”; melodia, Greek and Latin for “pleasant song”

In the Nature Park:
Year-round resident.  Common in meadows and shrub thickets.  Males sing frequently during spring and summer from a mid-height perch.