Zonotrichia albicollis - The Happy Sparrow

Occasionally I hear the happiest-sounding bird in my neighborhood. We are blessed to live in a wonderful wooded area, so I’ve learned to identify many birds by both sight and song, but I had never figured out what species of bird this happy-sounding one is. Until today.

I heard the happy bird singing this morning and it made me smile despite our impending stormy weather. I always think the bird sounds as if he must be skipping along joyfully, whistling like a cartoon bird. Sometimes the bird’s song brings to mind Gene Kelly singing, whistling, and dancing through the puddles in “Singing In the Rain.” Funny that today it’s been rainy off and on, and today was the day I finally saw the bird.

Actually, I saw a small flock of them. Dandy (our big cat) was restless this afternoon, so I put him up in the bathroom windowsill where we could look outside together and watch for birds. In fact, there were quite a few birds out there, birds I didn’t recognize. They were striking in appearance with three black stripes on their otherwise mostly white heads. They resembled sparrows, but they were so pretty and I didn’t recall sparrows being particularly pretty birds. So, I ran to get the bird book. I ruled out several (too big, wrong bill type, right markings but wrong color) then suddenly I saw him. He was a sparrow. I was right! I wasn’t sure if the birds were white-crowned or white-throated sparrows and when I looked outside again to see more details, they were gone. So, it was time to google it.

After a couple of false starts, I had my answer. It turns out that white-throated sparrows come in two types, white-crowned and tan-crowned, so I guess I was right either way. The recording of the bird’s song was the finishing touch, though. Listening to the recording made me smile once again, although I have to say that “my” bird sounded even happier this morning than the bird in the media file.

Did you ever hear Mister Rogers as King Friday XIII sing his song about Troglodytes aedon, his pet house wren? Well, I am very glad to have Zonotrichia albicollis sing to me in my neighborhood and brighten up my day, any day I hear his lively, happy song.

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