Song Sparrow Decides to Migrate or Gamble on Surviving Winter
Does Song Sparrow notice the colors changing overhead? What does it think about the new coolness in the morning air?
I see Song Sparrows in my Iowa backyard all year around. They’re abundant here in summer, nesting and raising their families. Also, they seem at home in fall, scratching through fallen leaves for insects and bits of nuts that squirrels may drop.
Later, when December brings bitter cold, Song Sparrows get scarce. Any that are still around have their feathers fluffed up. They look cold.
For 20 years I’ve kept track in my back yard. During half of those 20 winters, for a month of the coldest weather there were no Song Sparrows at all. In the remaining winters, one or two have visited my bird feeding areas every day.
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All winters are not created equal. My guess is that half the time, the freezing is just too intense for this species. I hope the birds get out and make it to someplace warmer in time, but I suspect that some try to tough it out and don’t survive.
What might lead a bird to press its luck? A bird that stays in the north would save energy by not migrating. It might gain further advantage by being on its nesting ground early and getting first chance at a good territory.
The line that divides advantage from disaster is a fluctuating one, like the high-tide line at the edge of an ocean. I'm standing on this invisible beach, observing those fluctuations. How will the Song Sparrow decide?
Little Song Sparrow, will you stay or go?
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