Clay-colored sparrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clay-colored sparrow |
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Spizella
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| Species: |
pallida
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The clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) is a small bird found in North America. It's known for its plain, earthy colors, which help it blend in with its surroundings. These sparrows are a common sight in open, shrubby areas.
Contents
What They Look Like
Clay-colored sparrows are small birds. They are about 13 to 15 centimeters (5 to 6 inches) long. They weigh around 12 grams (0.4 ounces), which is about as much as two quarters. Their wingspan is about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches).
They have light brown feathers on their backs. Their undersides are pale. You might see darker streaks on their backs. They have a light stripe on top of their dark brown heads. A white line goes over their eyes. A dark line runs through their eyes. They also have a light brown patch on their cheeks. Their wings are brown and have two pale bars. Their short beak is light with a dark tip. The back of their neck is grey. They also have a long tail.
Younger birds and adults not in breeding season look a lot like chipping sparrows and Brewer's sparrows. Outside of the nesting season, these birds often fly together in groups.
Where They Live
Clay-colored sparrows like to live in open areas with shrubs. They also live in jack pine forests. They breed in central Canada and the central northern United States. Their range extends east towards the Great Lakes. They are even expanding further east.
When winter comes, these birds fly south. They migrate in large groups. They travel to southern Texas and Mexico. Recently, one of these sparrows was even seen in South America for the first time!
What They Eat
These sparrows mostly look for food on the ground. They eat many different things. Their diet mainly includes seeds and insects. Outside of the nesting season, they often eat in small groups. When they are nesting, they might fly far from their nest to find food. They do not protect their feeding areas.
Their Song
The male clay-colored sparrow sings to show that a nesting area is his. He sings from a high spot where he can be seen. His song sounds like a buzzing Bzzzz bzzzz za za.
Nests and Eggs
Clay-colored sparrows build their nests from grasses. They line the inside with soft materials like fine plant fibers or animal hair. Their nests are shaped like an open cup. They usually build them on the ground or low in a shrub.
Female sparrows lay three to five eggs. The eggs are blue-green with spots. The mother bird sits on the eggs for about 11 days. This is called incubation.
Sometimes, another bird called the brown-headed cowbird lays its eggs in the sparrow's nest. This is called parasitism. If this happens, the clay-colored sparrows might leave their nest.
Images for kids
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South Padre Island - Texas
See also
In Spanish: Chimbito pálido para niños
