The White-throated Sparrow is the voice of the North Woods — a thin, sweet whistle traditionally transcribed as "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." The crisp white throat patch, yellow spots between eye and bill, and boldly striped crown separate it from Michigan's other streaky sparrows. Some birds wear white head stripes, others tan — a genuine genetic dimorphism, not age or sex.
In most of Michigan the White-throat is a migration bird, flooding through in April–May and again September–October, scratching under feeders and kicking through leaf litter in noisy little gangs. They breed in the northern forests and largely winter to our south.
Seeds and fruit for most of the year, with insects added in summer. During migration they're classic ground feeders — look for the two-footed backward scratch-hop under feeders and in leaf litter.
The big pushes are mid-April into May and again from mid-September through October. They breed in northern Michigan's forests, and a few linger at southern feeders in mild winters.
It's a genetic morph found in both sexes. Curiously, birds almost always pair with the opposite morph: white-striped birds are more aggressive singers, tan-striped birds more attentive parents.
A pure, plaintive whistle: two clear notes then three wavering triplets — "Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada" or "Old Sam Peabody." They sing during spring migration, so listen in April even in southern Michigan.
That is not age — the species comes in two permanent forms, white-striped and tan-striped, and birds almost always pair with the opposite form. Genuine juveniles are streaky below with a dull throat patch through their first fall.
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