Furtive Song Sparrow

Here's a Song Sparrow from last autumn. I suspect I saw the bird fly into those bushes since it was reasonably well hidden (any probably a fair distance away). And although it was hidden pretty well, I'm suspicious that this location was chosen for the food, most likely those red berries. Though many birds prefer eating insects and other invertebrates, cooler weather eliminates many invertebrates and leaves most of the others hunkering down for the winter. In response, many birds that winter in my area go primarily vegetarian as winter nears, and seeds and berries loom as alternative food sources.

If it's winter and you see a patch rich in berries, it's usually worth looking around to see if the local birds are taking advantage of the pantry.

More about Song Sparrows is in this video.

October 16, 2022 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Photo 250354688, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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