I am anxiously waiting for the first white-throated sparrows to make an appearance at my backyard feeders. Although I am a fan of all of the birds that winter in my backyard, I am especially fond to this sparrow.
When whitethroats finally make it to my backyard, I will go outside on a crisp fall morning and hear a clear O sweet Canada, Canada, Canada call emanating from a thick shrub. When I hear the bird’s call, I will know that, since the white-throated sparrows migrates at night, there is a good chance it arrived a few hours earlier.
I will hope my yard is its final destination instead of a stopover area. If the bird stays and is an adult, it is possible I hosted it last year. This is because white-throated sparrows are likely return the same wintering area year after year.
Years ago, I learned the white-throated sparrow prefer to dine on the ground. Its favorite food is white millet; however, they will also eat black oil sunflower seeds. Knowing this, I have already set the table for whitethroats by scattering white millet seeds on the ground beneath my feeders. If you want to stand a fighting chance to see one or more of these migrants in your backyard, now is the time to set the banquet table for them. If your efforts are successful, you will understand why I look forward to hosting them every winter.
