Migration of the white-throated sparrow
The white-throated sparrow, one of the most abundant members of its family, breeds from northern Mackenzie and the southern part of the Ungava Peninsula south to southern Montana, northern Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The winter range extends from the southern part of the breeding range south to the Gulf coast and northeastern Mexico. It is therefore a common migrant in many sections. Since it is a ground-feeding bird and is readily attracted to the vicinity of dwellings, it has been banded in large numbers, the total to November 14, 1949, being nearly 283,500. It would be expected that these would yield a comparable number of return records that would furnish basic data relative to the migrations of the species. Such, however, is not the case. Banded white-throated sparrows are rarely recaptured at stations between the breeding and wintering grounds. Operators of stations in the winter area, as Thomasville, Ga., and Summerville, S. C., have obtained return records showing that these birds do come back to the exact winter quarters occupied in previous seasons. The fact that they do not again visit banding stations on their migration routes indicates some unusual aspects of their travels, which it is hoped will eventually be discovered by banding studies. Problems of this type constitute definite challenges to the student of bird migration.