White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
White-throated Sparrow · Prospect Park · 15 November 2025
A White-throated Sparrow in the undergrowth of Prospect Park in November, one of the most common winter sparrows in the city. It breeds across the boreal forest of Canada and arrives in the park each October to spend the cold months scratching in exactly this kind of leaf litter under shrubs.
A crisp white throat patch and a bright yellow spot in front of the eye. The song is a thin, clear whistle that Canadians hear as "O sweet Canada Canada" and Americans as "Old Sam Peabody", which tells you more about the listeners than the bird.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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