Song Sparrows in New Mexico

Song Sparrows live in New Mexico all year. Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward weed and grass seeds.

Arid to semi-arid, with Chihuahuan desert in the south and mountain forest above 7,000 ft.

Across New Mexico, 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, dry early summer followed by the July–August monsoon.

• Song Sparrows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, american elderberry, chokecherry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for New Mexico, 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 New Mexico's winter: Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations.

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