World Sparrow Day 2026

Today we want to celebrate all the sparrows that bless our backyards and natural areas. There are some species that are part of the New World Sparrow family that you might not know are considered sparrows because it's not in their name. They also don't all give the typical "Little Brown Bird" trope of most sparrows. Here are two examples of New World Sparrows:

Dark-eyed junco: These birds will stick around the Okanagan and Similkameen all year long. Their gray, white, and rusty bodies make them stick out compared to their sparrow cousins. There are different subspecies of Dark eyed juncos in Canada. The one we have commonly in western Canada is the Oregon Dark-eyed junco. You are more likely to see them in the winter where they broaden their habitat range.

Spotted Towhee: These large sparrows have the dark black head with the bright rusty flanks. Like other towhees, they like to hop around and scratch the ground looking for food like seeds and insects.

These two birds are good starts to learning more about sparrows, given their more unique looks.