SPARROWS WINTERING IN LANCASTER COUNTY

      At least nine kinds of sparrows that winter in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, including dark-eyed juncos and song, white-throated, white-crowned, fox, tree, savannah, field and swamp sparrows, have several traits in common.  All of them are hard to spot because they are small and camouflaged in their various habitats.  All are seed-eaters in winter and are preyed on by house cats, sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper's hawks.  All species are attractive in plain ways.  And all but three kinds winter in little flocks near food and shelter.  

     All these handsome sparrows, except tree and savannah sparrows, winter in weedy thickets of shrubbery and young trees in dense hedgerows and woodland edges, where they feed on seeds and escape from cold, winter winds and predators.  

     Striking, permanent resident song sparrows are adaptable, omnipresent and abundant as individuals in thickets along farmland hedgerows and streams, and in shrubbery in suburban areas.  This species has adapted to consuming seeds and invertebrates on the muddy shores of small waterways and ponds in thickets, a niche sandpipers avoid.  

     Song sparrows come to feeders, and nest in bushes in suburban areas.  Male song sparrows' lovely, piping songs are heard ringing out as early as warm afternoons in February in this county, to the joy of many human residents.

     Little groups of dark-eyed juncos and white-throated, white-crowned and fox sparrows raise young in woodland edges farther north, but winter in much of the United States, including in Lancaster County.  These four, beautiful sparrow species winter in woody, weedy thickets and suburban shrubbery.  Juncos also like to hang out in fragrant, lovely stands of planted, young coniferous trees on lawns.  And all these species come to feeders, where their beauties are most appreciated by people.

     These four kinds of sparrows are attractive, each in its own way.  Juncos are dark-gray on top and white below, with white, outer tail feathers that flash V's when juncos flit into the dark recesses of young conifers.  White-throats do have white throats and striped crowns and  adult white-crowns have distinct, black and white crowns.  Fox sparrows are the largest sparrows of their clan, and are a pretty rusty-red. 

     Tree sparrows and savannah sparrows are most likely seen in more open fields, though tree sparrows often inhabit thin, weedy rows in the fields.  Both kinds of birds feed on weed and grass seeds and bits of corn in harvested corn fields, where they feed with flocks of those open field icons- horned larks.   

     The handsome tree sparrows have rusty-red crowns and a dark spot on their, otherwise, plainly-feathered chests.  Savannah sparrows are gray and heavily streaked with darker feathering.

     Individual field sparrows and swamp sparrows winter uncommonly in this area.  Field sparrows have pink beaks and swamp sparrows have rusty shoulders.  Swamp sparrows do winter in wooded swamps where they don't compete with other kinds of sparrows for seeds.  

     All these hardy sparrow species have beautiful feathering in camouflaged ways.  They all ingest seeds and grain through winter, and most of them shelter in woody thickets.  They are all interesting to  experience in their native habitats, and at bird feeders in winter. 

 

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