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Song Sparrow Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: When you first start birding in South Dakota, and you're starting to learn bird songs, it's not a bad idea to familiarize yourself with a Song Sparrow. It's a classic song of spring and summer in South Dakota. Honestly, it's not the most melodic or beautiful song in the world, but hey, it's kind of like me! I love to sing along when I listen to the music, and I'm going to give it my all, even though I'm not that great a singer!

Given how common they are I really don't have that many photos from South Dakota. My favorite photo is the one below, from Point Reyes National Seashore in California. 

Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 1 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 2 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 3 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 4 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 1 

Song Sparrow 2 

Song Sparrow 3 

Song Sparrow 4 

April 22nd, 2003 

April 15th, 2005 

October 10th, 2004 

April 19th, 2007 

Lake County, South Dakota 

Lincoln County, South Dakota 

Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota 

Point Reyes National Seashore, California 

Belting out a hit on top of a small bush 

Sparrow in bush at edge of cattail wetland habitat 

Dapper sparrow perched on top of a dead flower

Singing bird on top of coastal scrub vegetation 

Song Sparrow 5 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 6 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 7 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 8 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 5 

Song Sparrow 6

Song Sparrow 7

Song Sparrow 8

October 15th, 2005 

April 19th, 2007 

April 19th, 2007 

October 4th, 2009 

Lincoln County, South Dakota 

Point Reyes National Seashore, California 

Point Reyes National Seashore, California 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Sparrow on top of dead branch with bright blue sky as background 

Sparrow in brushy habitat along Pacific coast 

Singing Song Sparrow on top of green vegetation 

Bird perched on autumn foliage

Song Sparrow 9 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 10 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 11 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 12 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 9

Song Sparrow 10

Song Sparrow 11

Song Sparrow 12

October 4th, 2009 

October 4th, 2009 

April 12th, 2012 

August 2013 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge, Rhode Island 

Ecola State Park, Oregon 

Profile of a Song Sparrow at the edge of a wetland 

Sparrow foraging on seeds in dead flower heads 

Sunny blue sky day and sparrow on dead branch 

West coast sparrow on top of blooming plant

Song Sparrow 13 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 14 - Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow 15 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 16 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 13

Song Sparrow 14

Song Sparrow 15

Song Sparrow 16

August 2013 

October 21st, 2016 

October 7th, 2017 

October 7th, 2017 

Ecola State Park, Oregon 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Scruffy looking, first-year west coast Song Sparrow 

Sparrow perched on barbed wire in grassland habitat 

Sparrow and OOF background on top of an autumn flower head 

Cheeky and inquisitive sparrow looking into the camera 

Song Sparrow 17 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 18 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 19 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 20 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 17

Song Sparrow 18

Song Sparrow 19

Song Sparrow 20 

October 7th, 2017 

October 7th, 2017 

October 7th, 2017 

April 14th, 2019 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Wall Lake, South Dakota 

Autumn sparrow on weed stem 

Vertical of sparrow clinging to a weed stem 

Profile of sparrow in brushy thicket 

Sparrow foraging on the ground amidst a spring snow 

Song Sparrow 21 - Melospiza melodia 

Song Sparrow 22 - Melospiza melodia 

 

 

Song Sparrow 21 

Song Sparrow 22 

 

 

October 12th, 2020

October 12th, 2020 

 

 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota  

Minnehaha County, South Dakota  

 

 

Song Sparrow profile in warm, early morning light 

Sparrow hiding amongst the autumn weeds 

 

 

Click here for the species description page for the Song Sparrow.

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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl