There are 12 species of sparrows which could be found in Pennsylvania. In our Times News area I have recorded 10. Six of these have “dined” at my feeders and I’ll try to help you identify those attracted to yours.

The song sparrow is aptly named. I hear them “piping up” on the first warm days in February and they were still singing in the recent batch of warm weather in early October. They nest in low, dense shrubs or evergreens in nicely concealed nests. They usually lay four eggs and nest twice a year.

They are year-round residents, so if you feed the birds, they will be one of your regular visitors. They normally feed on the ground, usually crouching low to the grass to keep their outline small to avoid detection from hawks. They are rather drab in color, but a brown breast spot will help you identify them, if their constant singing did not.

Chipping sparrows are common in and around your lawns. They are one of the smallest sparrows and can be quite common. Look for them at your feeders beginning in April (about the time the juncos leave) and again in fall when they congregate in small bands as they prepare to migrate. By the last week of October, they will venture farther south.

The brown cap and dull white breast and belly will aid in identification. They feed in your lawns all summer gleaning insects from the close cut grass. Their nest is small, cup shaped and usually lined with hair. They too nest twice and average four eggs.

The white-throated sparrow is a common winter resident. Look for them arriving here about the second week of October and remaining here through much of May. In spring you can hear their call: Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody. Keep some seed scattered under your feeders near some good “cover” and you’ll get them to enjoy your yard. They stay almost glued to the ground scratching for the seeds.

Look for the bright white throat and yellow lores. They are a fairly large sparrow. I enjoy them most as they flock together in late spring, singing much of the time as they gather to move northward.

The white crowned sparrow is probably my favorite sparrow. However, I usually only see them for about two weeks in early May. They seem to arrive about the time the dandelion flowers have ripened and the “white parachute” seeds are ready. They are a bit more streamlined than the white throated, they have no yellow lores, and if you see both species together at your feeders you will readily distinguish between the two species.

My records for the past 20 years list them arriving about May 2 or 3 each year. I would normally stop feeding the birds about that time but I selfishly want to watch for their arrival.

The most common sparrow that you will encounter is the house sparrow (common at shopping malls, farms and fast food joints). However, it isn’t a sparrow. It is an introduced bird from Europe and is a type of weaver finch.

Test your knowledge: A black bear cub is born in late January and weighs about _____ at birth. A 15 pounds, B. 10 pounds, C. 5 pounds, D. One half pound.

Answer to last week’s trivia: In the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s when many states selected their state birds, mockingbirds were only residents in our southern states. They have since moved steadily northward.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.