Perch Supply
Diet

What do white-throated sparrows eat?

Seeds and fruit in winter; insects in summer.

New World sparrows (Passerellidae)White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis

Spring and summer diet

  • Insects from the forest floor

Fall and winter diet

  • Weed seeds, sumac and dogwood fruit

Best feeder foods

  • Millet
  • Hulled sunflower
  • Cracked corn

White-throats scratch under feeders near thickets; brush piles hold them all winter.

Which feeder works best for white-throated sparrows →

Where white-throated sparrows need winter food

Regions where white-throated sparrows are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArkansasConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMississippiMissouriNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasVermontVirginiaWest Virginia

Frequently asked

What do white-throated sparrows eat?

Seeds and fruit in winter; insects in summer.

What is the best food to feed white-throated sparrows?

Millet, Hulled sunflower, Cracked corn.

What do white-throated sparrows eat in winter?

Weed seeds, sumac and dogwood fruit.

Sources

  1. White-throated Sparrow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. White-throated Sparrow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. White-throated Sparrow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.