{"id":12020,"date":"2018-12-10T06:20:27","date_gmt":"2018-12-10T11:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=12020"},"modified":"2018-12-10T10:10:23","modified_gmt":"2018-12-10T15:10:23","slug":"take-5-so-many-sparrows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-so-many-sparrows\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: So Many Sparrows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sparrows have a reputation for being a bit tricky for beginning birders to identify. Thankfully, the colder months are a good time to get some practice in, with several common species overwintering here in Massachusetts, including American Tree Sparrows<\/a>, White-Throated Sparrows<\/a>, and Dark-eyed Juncos<\/a> (yes, they belong to the sparrow family!). Most sparrows are primarily seed-eaters and are often seen feeding on the ground, so a good place to look for them is on the ground beneath your bird feeders where the seed naturally falls.<\/p>\n

A great way to hone your sparrow-identification skills is to spend time with more advanced birders and learn on-the-fly (pun absolutely intended). See a list of upcoming birding programs<\/a> at our sanctuaries to find a trip near you and enjoy these five diverse photos of sparrows from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest.<\/p>\n

\"Savannah

Savannah Sparrow \u00a9 Phil Doyle<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Song

Song Sparrow \u00a9 Mike Shachook<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Dark-eyed

Dark-eyed Junco \u00a9 Andy Eckerson<\/p><\/div>\n

\"White-Throated

White-Throated Sparrow \u00a9 Katherine Sayn-Wittgenstein<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fox

Fox Sparrow \u00a9 Alberto Parker<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sparrows have a reputation for being a bit tricky for beginning birders to identify. Thankfully, the colder months are a good time to get some practice in, with several common species overwintering here in Massachusetts, including American Tree Sparrows, White-Throated Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos (yes, they belong to the sparrow family!). Most sparrows are primarily […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":12021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[28,83,84,297],"class_list":["post-12020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-birds","tag-photo-contest","tag-photography","tag-sparrows"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/2970Andy_Eckerson10724.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-37S","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16405,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-sorting-out-sparrows\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Sorting Out Sparrows","author":"Ryan D.","date":"September 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"There are some birds that scream for attention, like Northern Cardinals or (more literally) Blue Jays. Sparrows are not that kind of bird. Sparrows are subtle, nuanced, and notoriously tricky to tell apart from one species to another. Commonly referred to as \"Little Brown Jobs\" (LBJs for short), sparrows mostly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Birds & Birding"","block_context":{"text":"Birds & Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow \u00a9 Phil Doyle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/09\/3063Phil_Doyle16673-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/09\/3063Phil_Doyle16673-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/09\/3063Phil_Doyle16673-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/09\/3063Phil_Doyle16673-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17232,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/fall-birding-hotspots\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":1},"title":"Fall Birding Hotspots","author":"Kaylin D.","date":"October 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When the heat of summer fades in October, the crispness of fall is a signal to birders to get outdoors and search for fall migratory birds. Don\u2019t know where to start? Check out these birding hotspots at some of our Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries.\u00a0 Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield\u00a0 This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Birds & Birding"","block_context":{"text":"Birds & Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14703,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-a-song-in-your-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: A Song in Your Heart","author":"Ryan D.","date":"September 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cA bird doesn\u2019t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.\u201dMaya Angelou The Song Sparrow is a welcome visitor to fields, farms, parks, and gardens throughout Massachusetts. One of the first birds that many novice birders learn to identify by sound, the aptly named Song\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow \u00a9 Thomas Kilian","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/4363Thomas_Kilian19043.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/4363Thomas_Kilian19043.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/4363Thomas_Kilian19043.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/4363Thomas_Kilian19043.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":335,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/if-you-re-build-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":3},"title":"If You Re-Build It…","author":"Hillary T.","date":"July 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s a story we unfortunately hear all too often. Birds were here, and now some of them are not. This is especially true for Grassland birds (i.e. birds that breed in open fields of 25-plus acres). According to our recent State of the Birds report, these birds are by and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Project Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Project Updates","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/project-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/07\/GrasshopperSparrowShawnCarey_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/07\/GrasshopperSparrowShawnCarey_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/07\/GrasshopperSparrowShawnCarey_small.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7584,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/100-great-wildlife-sanctuary-birding-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":4},"title":"100 Great Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Spots","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon\u2019s annual birding competition takes place on May 13-14. Teams of birders will attempt to see (or hear) the most species in a 24-hour time span. At the same time, birders and \u201cBird-a-thon\u00a0Boosters\u201d are raising money to support wildlife sanctuaries and programs. To kick-off Bird-a-thon and celebrate 100\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16884,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/species-highlight-5-birds-for-bird-a-thon\/","url_meta":{"origin":12020,"position":5},"title":"Species Highlight: 5 Birds for Bird-a-thon","author":"Kaylin D.","date":"May 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On May 13, birders from across the state will be hiking quietly through bushes, binoculars in hand, patiently waiting for a bird to come into view. Throughout the heat of the day and into the cover of darkness, these dedicated birders silently wait. Why, you may ask? All for a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Birds & Birding"","block_context":{"text":"Birds & Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/05\/KForesto-3663-750x500-69214820-c7a7-4824-8adc-c1f5db65b2b5-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/05\/KForesto-3663-750x500-69214820-c7a7-4824-8adc-c1f5db65b2b5-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/05\/KForesto-3663-750x500-69214820-c7a7-4824-8adc-c1f5db65b2b5-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/05\/KForesto-3663-750x500-69214820-c7a7-4824-8adc-c1f5db65b2b5-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12020"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12051,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12020\/revisions\/12051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}