Song Sparrows in Nebraska

Song Sparrows live in Nebraska all year. Cold, windy winters; the Platte River corridor holds most wintering birds. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward weed and grass seeds.

Continental, from tallgrass prairie in the east to the Sandhills and shortgrass in the west.

Across Nebraska, song sparrows typically nest from April–August. Nest site: grass cup on the ground or low in shrubs. Females lay 3–5 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 9–12 days.

Hot summers with thunderstorms.

• Song Sparrows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, serviceberry, white oak for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for Nebraska, these 8 provide food or cover song sparrows use:

Song Sparrows feed at the edge of shrubbery and are among the first birds singing in late winter.

• Best foods: Millet, Hulled sunflower, Cracked corn.
• In Nebraska's winter: Cold, windy winters; the Platte River corridor holds most wintering birds.

Full diet breakdown for song sparrows · Best feeder for song sparrows