(Editor’s note: Ron Ketter is a member of the Talbot Bird Club and a Maryland Ornithological Society board member.)

White-throated sparrows mostly prefer habitat characterized by thick cover. Look for them along wooded edges, in dense vegetation such as brambles or weedy fields, or adjacent to swampy areas and cattail marshes. (Photo courtesy Ron Ketter)

During the winter, the Eastern Shore hosts many bird species from parts north. These are not long distant migrants. Instead, they relocate just far enough south to find sufficient food sources to make it through the winter.
Among them is the White-throated Sparrow, a common bird found on the Eastern Shore from late September through early May.
White-throated Sparrows spend their summers nesting in Canada, Northeast Minnesota, the northern half of Wisconsin and Michigan, and the New England states.
They breed in forests, usually along the edges or near openings, building their nests on or near the ground under shrubs or in thick grasses.
In early autumn, they leave their breeding grounds just ahead of snowfall and relocate throughout the eastern United States.
This species is considered a habitat generalist and can be found in a variety of areas.
However, they mostly prefer habitat characterized by thick cover.
Look for them along wooded edges, in dense vegetation such as brambles or weedy fields, or adjacent to swampy areas and cattail marshes.
You may also see them around your house if you maintain bushes or brushy habitat, venturing out to feed on the ground below bird feeders in search of seeds.
A good way of attracting this species to your yard is by making a brush pile, giving the birds someplace to hide from potential predators.
The White-throated Sparrow is a small bird, but one of the larger sparrow species.
Given its overall brown look, birders sometimes refer to it as one of the “LBJs” or little brown jobs.
It has a plump body that often looks even larger when it fluffs its feathers to capture body heat on a cold winter day.
It has long legs for sparrow that it uses to scratch the ground and through leaves in search of food.
It has a prominent, conical bill, well-suited for feeding on berries and seeds, but will also feed on insects when available.
Its throat ranges from white to light-gray, and it has a mostly plain gray breast with muted streaks, especially in juveniles, and a dull-white belly.
The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-striped and tan-striped referring to colors found on its head.
The white-striped has a thin but bold white strip on the top of its head, extending from the top of its bill to the back of its head, bordered by black on both sides and a large white patch above and behind its eye.
It also has a yellow patch above and in front of its eye. The tan-striped has tan instead of white on its head, and the yellow patch is much more subdued.
The two-color forms persist in this species because individual birds almost always mate with the opposite color form. In other words, opposites attract!
This species loves to sing. You may hear it through the autumn and winter months, but it becomes more vocal starting late winter and early spring.
Its song is a plaintive one, starting with two descending whistles following by a series of three notes repeated three or four times.
It is often described with the mnemonic “Poor Sam Pea-bod-y, Pea-bod-y, Pea-bod-y.”
Or if you prefer, “Oh Sweet Can-a-da, Can-a-da, Can-a-da.”
Recently, some populations that breed in Western Canada have been observed singing a new tune, dropping a syllable. So perhaps you’ll hear some singing “Oh Sweet Can-na, Can-na, Can-na.”
While White-throated Sparrows are still relatively abundant, their overall numbers have declined by about 30-35 percent over the last 50 years.
Some ways you can help the White-throated Sparrow get through the winter while attracting it to your backyard include planting native seed producing plants (Goldenrod, Coneflowers) and shrubs that provide habitat while also providing food, such as winterberry and blackberry.