White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow has fallen sharply: down 67% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the White-throated Sparrow
The White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 452 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the Atlantic Northern Forest.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Forest birds
Notable White-throated Sparrow Trends
White-throated Sparrow has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 67% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
White-throated Sparrow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, White-throated Sparrow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.56 (95% range 0.18–0.95). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±24.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.65 | 0.27 | 1.0 |
| 2026 | 0.63 | 0.25 | 1.0 |
| 2027 | 0.61 | 0.23 | 0.99 |
| 2028 | 0.59 | 0.20 | 0.97 |
| 2029 | 0.56 | 0.18 | 0.95 |
Where the White-throated Sparrow Is Detected
BBS routes recording White-throated Sparrow, sized by most recent count.
White-throated Sparrow Population Trend by State
| Connecticut | -64% | 1968 | 10 |
| Maine | -73% | 1968 | 78 |
| Massachusetts | -98% | 1968 | 22 |
| Michigan | +27% | 1968 | 62 |
| Minnesota | +72% | 1969 | 48 |
| New Hampshire | -79% | 1968 | 25 |
| New Jersey | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New York | -71% | 1968 | 89 |
| North Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | -94% | 1968 | 30 |
| Vermont | -81% | 1968 | 26 |
| West Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Wisconsin | +20% | 1968 | 57 |
White-throated Sparrow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Prairie Potholes | -62% | 1983 | 9 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +60% | 1968 | 127 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | -71% | 1968 | 39 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | -77% | 1968 | 155 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -23% | 1968 | 32 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -87% | 1968 | 61 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -98% | 1968 | 28 |
White-throated Sparrow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 67% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.