White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) are a common sight in my backyard in the winter. They’re always hopping around the yard, kicking up leaves. At 8:30 one morning, I looked out the window and saw three of them. I stopped to observe them and realized they weren’t moving. I watched them for several minutes before I took my eyes off of them to get my camera. I was able to watch them for a while longer and take a few pictures from inside. Eventually they flew off, one by one.
I had never experienced that behavior before. I had to look it up. Was that normal? Were they sick? Were they cold? It was about 32 degrees, which is not cold for these birds. So what were they doing?
White-throated sparrows sleep on the ground or in bushes. They look for a safe place to stay while they are resting. They apparently felt like my potted camellia next to the house was a safe place for the night. Maybe they felt so safe that they decided to sleep in that morning. Or maybe the sun hadn’t hit their eyes enough to wake them up. It was interesting to watch them this way. It really surprised me that they were so still for so long.
Here’s a closeup of the sparrow resting on the edge of the pot.
