Harris's Sparrow - Zonotrichia querula
General Description
Bill pink; upperparts mostly brown, back and scapulars streaked with black; underparts mostly white. Adults in breeding plumage have black hood covering nape, crown, lores, throat, and center of upper breast; contrasts with gray face.
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 179
Montana CountiesBeaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Missoula, Park, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Teton, Valley, Wheatland, Yellowstone
Migration
The main fall migration is from late September to early October.
Habitat
Frequents streams, hedgerows, shelterbelts, and brushy ravines dominated by deciduous trees and shrubs.
Food Habits
Diet consists of seeds, fruits, arthropods, and young conifer needles.
Reproductive Characteristics
Single brooded species with 4-5 eggs per brood. Incubation period 13-14 days.