The Lonely Sparrow
A Solitary Song Sparrow
About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I noticed a Song Sparrow arrived at my feeder. Just one. Uno. Seems unusual. He probably has a story to tell. The lonely traveler. Yes there are other sparrows and the usual birds including Cardinals, Chickadees, Blue Jays and more. But just one Song Sparrow.
This time of the year in Central NY State, it is common to see migratory birds. There are those that have returned to stay for the season, such as Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Bluebirds, Orioles, and more. Then there are those just passing through on their way North to summer breeding grounds. Resting in our yard for a day or so.
The Song Sparrow is one of those species, whose breeding area is normally way North in Canada. However, they can be year-round residents in this area as well, according to the range map below. This one bird has been here for a while. So time will tell if this bird stays or travels North.
During the winter, this bird was not at my feeders. As far as sparrows, we had a lot of American Tree Sparrows and a few House Sparrows. The American Tree Sparrows have moved on, headed North. The House Sparrows are typically year-round residents here and often nest in my birdhouses.
Bird migration is interesting especially if you live in an area where the seasons are pronounced. Although some species stay year-round, there are quite a few also that come and go during the various seasons. There seem to be a lot more species here in my area in the summer, however, it’s harder to identify them since many of our summer visitors do not feed from birdfeeders. Nearly all of the winter birds do. Since many summer birds perch high in the trees, I try to identify them based on their calls and songs.
