By: Samantha J. Stojanoff
 Today you will be learning about a bird called the Black Throated Sparrow. This bird lives in the Sonoran Desert as well as parts of California and Mexico. It likes to hide in sage brush, scrub, and scrub lands. They eat dry seeds and, after it rains, they feed on plants and insects. This gives them the moisture they need, allowing them to go long periods of time without water. These birds are only about four to six inches in height and weigh about 0.4 to 0.5 ounces. Their feathers are gray, brown, white, and black around their throat. The black throated sparrow lays around four eggs and may also be called a desert sparrow because of their location. Now, lets get started!
WHO AM I? I am a small desert bird. They call me a Black Throated Sparrow because of the color of my feathers around my throat. I am able to fly and I eat things that help me go long periods of time without drinking water. WHERE DO I LIVE? I live in the southwestern part of the United States. I can be found in the Sonoran Desert and also parts of California and Mexico. You may be able to tell that I love the desert because of my location. When walking through the desert, you will find me hiding in desert scrub and sagebrush. I may also be found in scrublands. WHAT DO I EAT? I like to eat different things at different times. When it is hot and dry outside, I eat dry seeds and drink from waterholes when I can find them. After it rains, I like to gather with other Black Throated Sparrows and eat plants and insects. Eating plants and insects gives me all of the moisture that I need until the next time it rains.  HOW DO I LOOK? I have grey, brown, white, and black feathers. My cheeks, head, and back are grey brown. My stomach, eyebrows, and mustache are white. The feathers around my throat are black. I am about 4 to 6 inches in height and weigh 0.4 to 0.5 ounces. HOW DO I REPRODUCE? Because I am a bird, I reproduce by laying eggs. I lay four white eggs in a nest. My nest is usually in a thorny bush. It takes my eggs eleven to twelve days to hatch. After my eggs hatch, it takes my babies nine to eleven days to begin to fly. FUN FACT ABOUT ME! I am sometimes referred to as the Desert Sparrow. They call me this because I love the dry heat, I live in the desert, and I can go long periods of time without water. ACTIVITIES! TRY THIS, KINDERGARTEN! - When you are finished looking through the information, find a picture of a Black Throated Sparrow and print it out. Then tell your parents or classmates a story about your picture. FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS THIS LOOKS FUN! - Create a Black Throated Sparrow scrapbook! Find 2-3 pictures to create your scrapbook. Make sure to include a 1-2 words describing the Black Throated Sparrow for each picture. HEY THIRD GRADE, WE DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT YOU! - Create a picture book of the Black Throated Sparrow with 4-5 pages. The pictures can be found on the internet or can be hand drawn. Include 2-3 sentences per page explaining what may be happening in the picture. YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ABOUT ME BELOW! This website offers plenty of information about my life history, identification, sounds, and conservation. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-throated_Sparrow/lifehistory This website provides many interesting and cool facts about me. This website provides information about my habitat, nesting, and appearance. It also provides different pictures of me in different habitats. |