Washington's Song Sparrows are large, dark, heavily streaked,
chunky birds. The face has dark streaks through each eye and on
either side of the crown, with gray between the dark streaks.
Both upperparts and underparts are also streaked. The streaks on
the breast often converge into a central breast spot, but many
other streak-breasted sparrows can also have a central spot like
this, and thus this field mark is not diagnostic. The tail is
long and often held cocked up, and is pumped up and down in
flight. Song Sparrows live in a variety of dense, brushy
thickets. In eastern Washington, they are limited to shrubby
habitats close to water. Song Sparrows are solitary and highly
territorial during the breeding season, but are found in loose
flocks during migration and winter. They forage mostly on the
ground, sometimes scratching the soil. They will come to bird
feeders with adequate cover close by. These birds sing almost
all year, and respond to 'pishing.' Typical of the family, Song
Sparrows eat insects and se