New York · Year-round resident

Song Sparrows in New York

When song sparrows are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

New World sparrows (Passerellidae)Song SparrowMelospiza melodia

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–August
Broods: 2–3 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b

When to expect song sparrows in New York

Song Sparrows live in New York all year. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward weed and grass seeds.

Humid continental, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, 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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

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

Native New York plants that attract song sparrows

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

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Fall seed.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

Feeding song sparrows through the New York year

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 York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

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

Frequently asked

Are song sparrows in New York year-round?

Yes. Song Sparrows are year-round residents in New York.

When do song sparrows nest in New York?

Nesting in New York typically runs April–August, with 2–3 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract song sparrows in New York?

Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Black-eyed Susan, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for song sparrows.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Fox Sparrow

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.