October is the month when many migrant sparrows pass through Ohio. Some of them stay on and winter with us, while others continue on to the southern U.S. and even to Mexico and Central America. Birders may encounter these sparrows in a wide variety of habitats and some will visit feeders as well. Most of the information contained in this column comes from The Birds of Ohio, written by Bruce Peterjohn.
Lets start with Lincolns Sparrow. This sparrow is one of the species that passes through Ohio but doesnt stay for the winter. There are a few winter records but they are extremely rare and some may be birds that were not identified correctly. Lincolns Sparrows are most likely to be found here in October. Huge numbers winter in the southern part of the country. We found them to be the most common sparrow in southern Texas when we visited the Rio Grande Valley last February. Another fall visitor is the Fox Sparrow. Although seen more often during spring migration, there are fall Fox Sparrows to be found, most often from late September through late October. A few stay around all winter, as evidenced by the small numbers found on area Christmas Bird Counts.
A pair of hard-to-find sparrows in the fall are Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Le Contes Sparrow. Both of these birds are skulkers, staying hidden in wet, grassy areas, including such places as Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area. Formerly almost unknown for this part of the state, there are now late September and October records, thanks to birders who have made concerted efforts to find them.
Better known are two closely related species, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. Historically, these sparrows were migrants through Ohio but didnt winter regularly, especially in central or northern Ohio. That changed from 1940 to 1980 - since that time they have been found regularly in our area all winter. Large numbers of both species pass through Ohio during the month of October. Another related species, Harriss Sparrow, also may show up during October, but finding one of these rarities is quite unusual since Ohio is not on their normal migration route.
American Tree Sparrows arrive later than our other fall sparrows. It is usually mid-to-late October before flocks show up in Ohio, and many of them remain for the winter. Historically, they were the most common winter sparrow here, but when the White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows increased, American Tree Sparrows declined somewhat in numbers. They are more common in the northern and central part of the state during the winter, and less common in southern Ohio.
Dark-eyed Juncos also show up this time of year. Late September and October bring these birds to our area, with more coming in November. Even though juncos seem to be quite common during the winter, their numbers have dropped significantly since 1980. This can be seen in the numbers reported on Christmas Bird Counts. Still, most people who feed birds in the winter find Dark-eyed Juncos among the birds at their feeders. It is definitely the time to be watching for all these fall sparrows as they join our local birds, either briefly or for the winter.
Good birding!
Contact Bruce Glick at birderbruce@yahoo.com, or phone 330-317-7798.
