Bird guide · Zonotrichia albicollis
White-throated Sparrow
What the white-throated sparrow eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant
- Size
- 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
- Eats
- seeds
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia
Food
What do white-throated sparrows eat?
At feeders, white-throated sparrows take seeds.
Shuffles on the ground in loose flocks and comes to feeders placed close to thickets.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do white-throated sparrows live?
Common winter bird of eastern woodlots; breeds in northern forests. By share of all bird sightings, white-throated sparrows are most common in Arkansas (1.8%).
States where white-throated sparrows are most common
- Arkansas1.8%
- Maryland1.8%
- Virginia1.7%
- Pennsylvania1.6%
- Connecticut1.6%
- Missouri1.5%
- New Jersey1.5%
- New York1.4%
- Delaware1.3%
- Kentucky1.3%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are white-throated sparrows, 2019–2024.
Season
When can you see the white-throated sparrow?
Migrant. Across the US, it is mainly reported from September to June, most often in November.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are white-throated sparrows, by month.
Identification
How to identify the white-throated sparrow
Adults: Striped head (white or tan), conspicuous white throat, dark bill and a yellow spot before the eye.
Size: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the white-throated sparrow on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
White-throated Sparrow: questions
What do white-throated sparrows eat?
At feeders, seeds.
Do white-throated sparrows migrate?
Migrant. Across the US, it is mainly reported from September to June, most often in November.
Where do white-throated sparrows live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut. They are rare or absent in Hawaii.
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