Both runs below are verbatim — the towhee-and-sparrows section of USDA Farmers’ Bulletin 630 (1926 revision), which works its weed-seed arithmetic out step by step, and Chester Reed’s 1906 Bird Guide entries for the same winter sparrows.

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The towhee under the hedgerow

The towhee, chewink, or ground robin, as it is variously known, inhabits nearly the whole of the United States east of the Great Plains. It breeds from the Middle States northward and winters in the southern half of the country. Naturally associated with the catbird and brown thrasher, it lives in much the same places, though it is more given to haunting hedgerows along roads and fences.

After snow has disappeared in early spring an investigation of the rustling so often heard among the leaves near a fence or in a thicket will frequently disclose a towhee hard at work scratching for his dinner after the manner of a hen; and in these places and along the sunny border of woods old leaves will be found overturned where the bird has been searching for hibernating beetles and larvæ.

The good which the towhee does in this way can hardly be overestimated, since the death of a single insect at this time, before it has had an opportunity to deposit its eggs, is equivalent to the destruction of a host later in the year. The towhee has also been credited with visiting potato fields and feeding upon the potato beetle.

Its vegetable food consists of seeds and small wild fruits, but no complaint on this score is known to have been made. So far as observation goes, the bird never touches either cultivated fruit or grain; in fact, it is too shy and retiring even to stay about gardens for any length of time.

One-third insects in summer

Sparrows are not obtrusive birds, either in plumage, song, or action. There are some 40 species, with nearly as many subspecies, in North America. Not more than half a dozen forms are generally known in any one locality. All the species are more or less migratory, but so widely are they distributed that there is probably no part of the country where some can not be found throughout the year.

The bulletin’s own footnote, on the English sparrow: The sparrows here mentioned are all native species. A full account of the English, or house, sparrow (Passer domesticus), including its introduction, habits, and depredations, was published in Bull. No. 1 of the Division of Ornithology in 1889. For information in regard to combating the English sparrow, see U. S. Department of Agriculture Leaflet 61, English Sparrow Control.

While sparrows are noted seed eaters, they do not by any means confine themselves to a vegetable diet. During the summer, and especially in the breeding season, they eat many insects and feed their young largely upon the same food. Examination of stomachs of three species–the song sparrow, chipping sparrow, and field sparrow–shows that about one-third of the food consists of insects, comprising many injurious beetles, as snout beetles or weevils, and leaf beetles.

Many grasshoppers are eaten. In the case of the chipping sparrow these insects form one-eighth of the food. Grasshoppers would seem to be rather large morsels, but the bird probably confines itself to the smaller species; indeed, the greatest amount (over 36 per cent) is eaten in June, when the larger species are still young and the smaller most numerous.

Besides the insects already mentioned, many wasps and bugs are taken. Predacious and parasitic hymenopterous insects and predacious beetles, all useful, are eaten only to a slight extent, so that as a whole the insect diet of the native sparrows may be considered beneficial. There are several records of potato-bug larvæ eaten by chipping sparrows.

Their vegetable food is limited almost exclusively to hard seeds. This might seem to indicate that the birds feed to some extent upon grain, but the stomachs examined show only one kind, oats, and but little of that. The great bulk of the food is made up of grass and weed seeds, which form almost the entire diet during winter, and the amount consumed is immense.

A veritable ball of fat: the winter weed patch

In the agricultural region of the upper Mississippi Valley, by roadsides, on borders of cultivated fields, or in abandoned fields, wherever they can obtain a foothold, masses of rank weeds spring up and often form almost impenetrable thickets which afford food and shelter for immense numbers of birds and enable them to withstand great cold and the most terrible blizzards.

A person visiting one of these weed patches on a sunny morning in January, when the thermometer is 20° or more below zero, will be struck with the life and animation of the busy little inhabitants. Instead of sitting forlorn and half frozen, they may be seen flitting from branch to branch, twittering and fluttering, and showing every evidence of enjoyment and perfect comfort. If one of them is captured it will be found in excellent condition; in fact, a veritable ball of fat.

The snowbird and tree sparrow are perhaps the most numerous of all the sparrows. Examination of many stomachs shows that in winter the tree sparrow feeds entirely upon seeds of weeds. Probably each bird consumes about one-fourth of an ounce a day. In an article contributed in 1881 to the New York Tribune the writer estimated the amount of weed seed annually destroyed by these birds in Iowa.

On the basis of one-fourth of an ounce of seed eaten daily by each bird, and an average of 10 birds to each square mile, remaining in their winter range 200 days, there would be a total of 1,750,000 pounds, or 875 tons of weed seed consumed in a single season by this one species.

Large as are these figures, they unquestionably fall far short of the reality. The estimate of 10 birds to a square mile is very conservative, for in Massachusetts, where the food supply is less than in the Western States, the tree sparrow is even more abundant than this in winter. The writer has known places in Iowa where several thousand tree sparrows could be seen within the space of a few acres.

This estimate, moreover, is for a single species, while, as a matter of fact, there are at least half a dozen birds (not all sparrows) that habitually feed during winter on these seeds. Farther south the tree sparrow is replaced in winter by the white-throated sparrow, the white-crowned sparrow, the fox sparrow, the song sparrow, the field sparrow, and several others; so that all over the land a vast number of these seed eaters are at work during the colder months reducing next year’s crop of worse than useless plants.

On the basis of one-fourth of an ounce of seed eaten daily by each bird, and an average of 10 birds to each square mile, remaining in their winter range 200 days, there would be a total of 1,750,000 pounds, or 875 tons of weed seed consumed in a single season by this one species.

Reed’s winter sparrows, entry by entry

Tree sparrow. — A blackish-brown spot in middle of breast; crown reddish brown with no black about the head; back and wings with considerable brown.

These Sparrows are summer residents of the Arctic region, passing the winter in the northern half of the U. S. They bear considerable resemblance to our common Chipping Sparrow, but are larger and have characteristic markings as noted above. They appear in the U. S. in October and many of them pass the winter in the fields and gardens in our northern states.

Note.—A musical chirp; song, strong, sweet, and musical and ending in a low warble.

Nest.—Usually on the ground, but sometimes at low elevations in bushes. Eggs pale greenish blue with brown specks over the whole surface, thus being very different from those of the Chipping Sparrow (.80 × .60).

Range.—N. A. east of the Plains, breeding in Labrador and about Hudson Bay; winters in northern half of the U. S. A sub-species, 559a. Western Tree Sparrow (ochracea) is paler; it is found from the Plains to the Pacific, breeding in the north.

Chipping sparrow. — Crown chestnut; forehead black; line through the eye black.

One of the commonest and most useful of our Sparrows, frequenting orchards, yards, and bushy pastures. They are not at all timid and frequently nest in vines, covering porches or the side of the house, provided that English Sparrows are not too plenty. They eat great quantities of insects and worms, and some seeds, feeding their young wholly upon the former.

Song.—A very rapidly chanted chip, chip, chip, chip, continued for several seconds; call, a sharp chip.

Nest.—A small cup-shaped structure of rootlets, lined with horsehair; placed in bushes, trees, or vines; eggs three to five, bluish green, specked, chiefly around the large end, with blackish brown (.65 × .50).

Range.—N. A. east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf of Mexico north to Newfoundland and Hudson Bay; winters in the Gulf States. A sub-species is found west of the Rockies.

Clay-colored sparrow. — No reddish brown in the plumage; crown largely black, with a whitish stripe in centre. The habits of these birds are the same as those of the Chippy; they are abundant on the Plains north to Saskatchewan and breed south to the northern portion of the United States. They spend the winter in Mexico. Their nests and eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the preceding except, perhaps, by the fact that the nest has more grass than hair.

Brewer sparrow. — Like the last species, the general tone of plumage of this is gray. It differs, though, in having the crown finely streaked with blackish. It is a more western species than the last and is rarely found east of the Rockies. It ranges from British Columbia southward into Mexico.

Field sparrow. — Bill pinkish brown; crown and ear covert brown with no black markings; back reddish brown and breast and sides washed with brown.

You will find these birds in dry pastures, stubble fields, and side hills. The hotter and dryer a place is, the better they seem to like it. They are often the only birds that will be found nesting on tracts of land recently burned over, upon which the sun beats down with stifling heat.

Song.—A series of shrill piping whistles on an ascending scale and terminating in a little trill, “swee-see-see-se-e-e.”

Nest.—A frail structure of grasses and weeds, lined with finer grasses; placed either on the ground or in bushes, briars or weed patches; four or five whitish eggs marked with reddish brown (.68 × .50).

Range.—Breeds from the Gulf States north to southern Canada; winters in southern United States.

Sub-Species.—563a. Western Field Sparrow (arenacea), a paler race found on the Great Plains.

White-winged junco. — Slightly larger than the common eastern Junco, and with two white bars on the wing and more white on the tail.

This species cannot be regarded as common anywhere, even locally, and in most sections of its range it is rare. There are no peculiarities in its habits, and I believe that its nests and eggs have not, as yet, been discovered.

Range.—Breeds in Wyoming and the Dakotas and winters in Colorado and eastward to Kansas.

Slate-colored junco. — These are one of our most common winter birds, easily recognized, while perching or on the ground, by the white or pinkish bill, and when flying by the white outer tail feathers and the gray and white plumage. They are very common about houses as well as on the edges of woods and in pine groves, being very tame and coming into the dooryard to feed upon crumbs or chaff which is often thrown out for them.

Song.—A sweet simple trill, which has a beautiful effect when given by a whole flock in unison.

Nest.—Of grasses, on the ground, usually beside a stone, in a bunch of weeds or under a small shrub, where it is well concealed. The three or four eggs are whitish, sprinkled with reddish brown (.75 × .55).

Range.—Eastern N. A., breeding from the northern parts of the northern tier of states northward; winters south to the Gulf.

Sub-Species.—567e. Carolina Junco (carolinensis), found in the Alleghanies from Virginia to Georgia; there are several races found west of the Rockies.

Black-throated sparrow. — These little Sparrows are entirely unlike any other North American species. They are found in the southwestern deserts, where they are not uncommon in certain localities, being found in mesquite or chaparral brush.

Note.—An ordinary Sparrow chip; song, a rich metallic “zip-zip-zip-zee-zee-zee,” the first three ascending, the second three notes descending.

Nest.—In bushes or cacti at low elevations; eggs plain bluish white (.70 × .50).

Range.—From Texas north to Kansas in summer. A paler sub-species, the Desert Sparrow (deserticola), is found westward to southern California.

Sage sparrow. — These birds are found in arid regions, frequenting the sage brush that is found in the Great Basin region, from western Texas to California.

Pine-woods sparrow. — Upper parts streaked with black; back chestnut and gray; under parts buffy white; tail rounded.

These dull-colored birds are abundant on some of the southern pine barrens. Their habits are similar to those of the Henslow Sparrow; they are quite shy and it is almost impossible to make one show itself above the grass, through which it runs and dodges with great swiftness. If it is surprised into taking wing it goes but a few feet, then drops out of sight again.

Note.—A metallic chip; song, similar to that of the Field Sparrow, but reversed; that is, with the trill first.

Nest.—Of grasses, on the ground, under shrubs or in tufts of grass; not usually arched as those of Bachman Sparrow seem to always be; four or five pure white eggs (.72 × .60).

Range.—Georgia and Florida. 575a. Bachman Sparrow (bachmannii) is brighter above but has fewer black streaks; found in the South Atlantic and Gulf States and north to Indiana.

Song sparrow. — This is probably the best known, most abundant, and most widely distributed (in its numerous sub-species) of all our birds. They are quite hardy and many of them winter in the northern states, but the majority go farther south, returning to their summer homes about the first of March. They may be found anywhere where there are bushes, vines, or hedges, and often about houses, even in large cities.

Song.—Very pleasing and musical, strongly resembling brilliant measures from that of the Canary.

Nest.—Of grass, either on the ground or in bushes; three to five bluish-white eggs, profusely spotted with brown (.80 × .58).

Range.—Eastern N. A., breeding from Virginia and Missouri north to southern Canada. Winters from Massachusetts and Ohio southward. Many local races are found west of the Rockies, but only one east of there. 581j. Dakota Song Sparrow (juddi) is found in the vicinity of Turtle Mountains, North Dakota; it is said to be lighter above and brighter below.

Lincoln sparrow. — Upper parts extensively brown and black, breast and sides bright buff with fine black streaks.

These finches are quite abundant in the West, especially during migrations, but are rather uncommon in the eastern states. Their habits are similar in some respects to both those of the Song Sparrow and of the Grasshopper Sparrow. They are very lively at all times and in the mating season quite pugnacious. They sit for minutes at a time upon the top of a bush pouring forth their melody, and they have one of the most brilliant songs of any of the family.

Song.—Loud, clear, and gurgling, after the style of the House Wren; call, a metallic chirp.

Nest.—Of grass, on the ground, in tufts of grass or under small shrubs; eggs pale greenish white, heavily marked with chestnut (.80 × .58).

Range.—N. A., breeding from northern U. S. to Labrador and Alaska; winters in southern half of U. S.

Source

Some Common Birds Useful to the Farmer, USDA Farmers’ Bulletin 630, 1926 revision, ‘Towhee’ and ‘The Sparrows.’ Project Gutenberg #62678. Chester A. Reed, Bird Guide: Land Birds East of the Rockies (1906), sparrow entries. Project Gutenberg #45630. Public domain. Project Gutenberg #62678, #45630.

Passages reproduced verbatim, including the bulletin’s own footnote excluding the English sparrow. Mechanical edits only: footnote markers and figure references removed; plain-text italic markers around the Latin name (_Passer domesticus_) dropped; illustration placeholders and entry-header lines dropped; hard line-wraps joined; two 1926 OCR fixes: ‘So for as observation goes’ → ‘So far as observation goes’, ‘was published In Bull’ → ‘was published in Bull’. Both tables restate figures that appear in the reproduced text.