5.75 inches long. The Lincoln’s Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow with a conical bill and a thin rounded tail. The back is olive with darker streaks. The wings are rufous. The breast is buffy with fine streaks that sometimes form a central spot. The flanks also have fine streaks. The belly is white. The face is gray with a thin buff colored eye ring. There is a gray eyebrow and a brown crown with a gray central stripe. There is also a brown streak behind the eye. The throat is white bordered by a thick malar stripe with a buffy stripe above.
The Lincoln’s Sparrow is a common migrant through the area. It may be seen from mid March through May and again in mid September through late November.
The Lincoln’s Sparrow is considered a skulker due to its secretive nature. It sometimes joins mixed flock on its wintering grounds. It kicks back with both feet like a Towhee to uncover seeds and grain. The song has a rich warbling song with the last notes harsher and lower similar to a House Wren “jew, jew, jew, jew, je, eeeeeeeeeedo, je, e, e, e, to”.
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