A white-throated sparrow with a striped head perched on a branch. — Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

A striped-crowned sparrow whose song sounds like 'Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.'

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About the White-throated Sparrow

White-throated sparrows are 6 to 7.5 inches long, with a white throat, yellow spots between the eyes and bill, and a striped crown. They spend summers in forests from New England into Canada and winters mostly in the eastern United States at woodland edges, fields, parks and backyards. They eat seeds, berries and insects on or near the ground and love millet and sunflower seeds.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Zonotrichia albicollis^[1]
Size: 6 to 7.5 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: 2 to 10 years.^[1]
Diet: Seeds, berries and insects.^[1]
Habitat: Forests in summer; woodland edges, thickets, fields, parks and yards in winter.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds from New England into Canada; winters mostly in the eastern U.S.^[1]
Group life: Pairs in summer; flocks with a pecking order in winter.^[1]
Babies: Nests on or near the ground.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Its song is often written as 'Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.'^[1]
A new version of its song has spread east from British Columbia.^[1]
White-throated sparrows occasionally form hybrids with dark-eyed juncos.^[1]

Vocabulary

songbird: A perching bird that can sing; songbirds make up about half of all bird species.
syrinx: A bird's voice box.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
hybrid: The young of two different species or kinds.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “White-throated sparrow.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/white-throated-sparrow (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Zonotrichia albicollis (White-throated Sparrow).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22721085/138469176 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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