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Monday
Mar222010

A Little Bird Told Me

In Chapter 3 of The Green Hour: A Daily Dose of Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids you’ll find an illustration of a singing sparrow. This is just one of the many splendid drawings by John Dawson that give the book so much of its visual charm.

But in the caption appearing below that illustration, it looks like we may have goofed.

Two birds of similar appearance are mentioned in the accompanying text, but the caption below the illustration should rightfully say “White-crowned Sparrow” instead of "White-throated Sparrow."

Physical resemblance notwithstanding, on this count, as stated in the text, there’s little room for error: the song of the White-throated Sparrow is as unmistakable as it appealing. To listen to its song—and to see the difference between these two similar species—check out the All About Birds guide from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Many thanks to Richard Schinkel of Michigan, a dedicated naturalist and educator, who wrote in with this correction!