the white-throated sparrow (zonotrichia albicollis) is a passerine bird of the american sparrow family emberizidae .
the white-throated sparrow is a passerine bird of the american sparrow family emberizidae .
it measures 15 to 19 cm (5.9 to 7.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 23 cm (9.1 in) .
typical weight is 22 to 32 g (0.78 to 1.13 oz), with an average of 26 g (0.92 oz) .
among standard measurements , the wing chord is 6.3 to 7.9 cm (2.5 to 3.1 in), the tail is 6.8 to 7.7 cm (2.7 to 3.0 in), the bill is 1 to 1.2 cm (0.39 to 0.47 in) and the tarsus is 2.2 to 2.4 cm (0.87 to 0.94 in) .
they are similar in appearance to the white-crowned sparrow , but with white throat markings and yellow lores .
there are two adult plumage variations known as the tan-striped and white-striped forms .
on the white-striped form the crown is black with a white central stripe .
the supercilium is white as well .
the auriculars are gray with the upper edge forming a black eye line .
on the tan form , the crown is dark brown with a tan central stripe .
the supercilium is tan as well .
the auriculars are gray/light brown with the upper edge forming a brown eye line .
both variations feature dark eyes , a white throat , yellow lores and gray bill .
there is variation and some individuals may show dark lateral stripes of each side of the throat .
they almost always pair with the opposite color morph for breeding .
the two color morphs occur in approximately equal numbers .
both male and female white-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped birds during the breeding season .
the breast has gray/tan streaks and the streaks continue down the flanks but the belly is generally light gray .
the wings are rufous with two distinct white wing bars .
sexes are morphologically similar .
white-throated sparrows breed in central canada and new england .
they nest either on the ground under shrubs or low in trees in deciduous or mixed forest areas and lay 3-5 brown-marked blue or green-white eggs .
in winter , it migrates to the southern and eastern usa .
it stays year round in the atlantic provinces of canada .
this bird is a rare vagrant to western europe .
these birds forage on the ground under or near thickets or in low vegetation .
they mainly eat seeds , insects and berries , and are attracted to bird feeders .
there are at least two distinct songs sung by this species .
one consists of an initial note , followed by three or so repeated notes at an interval of about a major third above .
the second song consists of an initial note , a second a whole step lower , and a third note , repeated 2-3 times , about a minor third below that .
this second song is commonly described by use of mnemonics with the cadence of "po-or sam peabody , peabody , peabody" (or "o-oh sweet canada , canada , canada")  the rhythm is very regular , and the timbre could be described as pinched .
these musical intervals are only approximate; to a human ear the song often sounds out of tune .
the repeated note will often change in pitch very slightly , contributing to this effect .
the white-throated sparrow also has at least two calls , in addition to its song .
