All photographs were taken by Nathan Collie on location at Old Town.

Audio Recording

Conservation Status

Song Sparrows are common across most of the continent, but populations have declined by about 27% in recent years. These birds have vanished from two islands off Southern California, likely due to more frequent fires and introduced hares that have altered the sparrows’ habitat. Additionally, loss of wetland habitat in the San Francisco Bay area have led to declining populations of a saltmarsh race of the Song Sparrow in that area. Habitat loss has also contributed to this decline.

Habitat

Song Sparrows are found in an wide variety of open habitats, including marshes, grasslands, desert scrub, pine forests, parklands, prairies, agricultural fields, overgrown pastures, lake edges, forest edges, and suburbs. You can also find Song Sparrows in deciduous or mixed woodlands.