Sparrows and Other Small Birds

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Brown Thrasher

• They are able to call in up to 3000 distinct songs
• This bird is omnivorous, eating insects, berries, nuts and seeds, as well as earthworms, snails and sometimes lizards
• The bird is more likely to be heard than seen, not only because of the rattling of leaves, but also because of its call, a sharp lip-smacking type sound

Ovenbird

• The nest, the "oven", is a domed structure placed on the ground, woven from vegetation and with a side entrance
• These birds mainly eat insects, spiders and snails, also seeds in winter
• The Ovenbird is vulnerable to nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird, but its numbers appear to be stable.

Louisiana Waterthrush

• These birds are terrestrial feeders, seeking insects, molluscs and crustaceans amongst the leaf litter
• Louisiana Waterthrushes nest in a rock crevice or amongst tree roots, laying 4-6 eggs in a cup nest
• The breeding habitat is wet woodlands near running water

Summer Tanager

• The only entirely red bird in North America
• The Summer Tanager is considered a bee and wasp specialist
• These birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight.

Scarlet Tanager

• These birds are declining due to forest fragmentation
• The male molts its feathers depending on the season.  In the breeding season it is scarlet and in the non-breeding season, more olive colored.
• It captures insects by gleaning and grabbing them while hovering.  It will also hawk flying insects.  It beats its prey against branches to kill it.

Chipping Sparrow

• Instead of having simple molts like most birds and changing its body feathers once or twice a year, the Chipping Sparrow may change the feathers of its face and throat up to six times in one year
• The nest of the Chipping Sparrow is of such flimsy construction that light can be seen through it
• It eats grass and other small seeds, small fruits, and insects

Field Sparrow

• The Field Sparrow often feeds directly on fallen seeds. It may fly to the top of grass stalks, let its weight carry the stems to the ground, and then begin removing the seed
• The male Field Sparrow starts singing as soon as he gets back in the spring. He sings vigorously until he finds a mate, but after that he sings only occasionally
• It has a simple, yet distinctive song of repeated clear whistled notes on one pitch that increase in rate until they make a trill

Fox Sparrow

• The fox sparrow comes in form different forms: a red form, a sooty form, a slate-colored form, and a large-billed form
• These birds forage by scratching the ground
• They nest either in a sheltered location on the ground or low in trees or shrubs

Song Sparrow

• Males that use more learned components in their songs and that better matched their song tutors (the adult bird they learned their songs from) are preferred by females
• The Song Sparrow is found throughout most of North America, but different populations in different areas can look surprisingly different
• They nest either in a sheltered location on the ground or in trees or shrubs

Swamp Sparrow

• The Swamp Sparrow has longer legs than other members of its genus; this adaptation allows it to wade in shallow water to forage
• The Swamp Sparrow sometimes sticks its head under water to try to capture aquatic invertebrates
• The next in cattails, grasses, shrubs, or on the ground

White-Throated Sparrow

• The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned
• The two color forms of the White-throated Sparrow are determined by genetic differences, and are unique among birds. Oddly, individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph
• It feeds primarily on ground by scratching in litter with both feet they also hawk insects from a perch.

White-Crowned Sparrow

• Because male White-crowned Sparrows learn the songs they grew up with and do not travel far from where they were raised, song dialects frequently form. Males on the edge of two dialects may be bilingual and able to sing both dialects
• There are five currently recognized subspecies of white-crowned sparrow, varying in migratory behaviour and breeding habitat
• These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, but sometimes make short flights to catch flying insects

Dark-Eyed Junco

• Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the middle latitudes
• The Dark-eyed Junco includes six forms that were once considered separate species
• Some forms of birds have longer wings than others, the ones with longer wings often migrate longer differences

Eastern Meadowlark

• The Eastern Meadowlark is not a lark but belongs to the same family as blackbirds and orioles
• The nest, constructed by female alone, is built on the ground of grasses woven into surrounding vegetation. The structure varies; the nest often has an arch or roof, and sometimes has a runway leading to the opening
• There are up to 17 subspecies of eastern meadowlark

Carolina Chickadee

• The birds hop along tree branches searching for insects, seeds, and berries, sometimes hovering or hanging upside down.
• They sometimes hammer seeds on trees to open them and often store them for later.
• They can intentionally lower their body temperatures so they induce hypothermia called torpor.  This helps them conserve energy in the winter.

Tufted Titmouse

• They forage actively on branches, and sometimes on the ground, eating insects, seeds, nuts, and berries, which they store for later
• Their range is expanding northward, perhaps due to an increase in food due to bird feeders
• The make their nests in natural cavities or old woodpecker nests in trees

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

• They forage on the trunk of trees, often descending headfirst to catch insects in flight
• Their call is like a tin trumpet
• These birds are often permanent residents, but they regularly migrate into the southern United States if the food supply fails.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

• The bird exibits a weird behavior called “bill sweeping” where it it picks up a piece or fur, plant, or insect, and uses it to sweep around its nest cavity, which is believed to remove their scent
• Their principle diet consists of insects and a few seeds
• They forage on the trunk of trees, often descending headfirst to catch insects in flight

Brown-Headed Nuthatch

• This bird is frequently observed using a small piece of bark as a tool to dig for insects
• It possesses a sharp nail-like beak that it uses to pound open seeds
• This bird is bold and inquisitive

Brown Creeper

• They forage on tree trunks, creeping slowly with their bodies flattened against the bark
• They mainly eat insects, but sometimes seeds in winter
• The bird is camouflaged and resembles tree bark

Carolina Wren

• This bird is the second largest after the cactus wren
• The birds are sensitive to cold weather, so after severe winters their populations decline
• Carolina Wrens eat insects, found in leaf litter and on trees, small lizards, tree frogs, seeds, and berries

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

• The forage in trees for insects, insect eggs, and spiders
• They tend not to fear human approach
• The birds are migratory to the United States, although there are some permanent residents

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

• The male has a red patch on his crown which is only visible when he is agitated
• There may be as many as twelve eggs in a single breeding session
• They eat mainly small insects, spiders, berries, and tree sap

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

• They eat insects, insect eggs, and spiders
• They build a cup nest similar in construction to a hummingbird’s
• These birds migrate to the Southern United States, Central America, and South America

Wood Thrush

• These birds are omnivorous, feeding on soil invertebrates and larvae and sometimes fruit
• They normally defend their territory without physical contact, but during high-intensity encounters or nest defense physical interactions with the feet and bill have been observed.
• Wood thrushes are monogamous, but they find a new mate each year