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Nearby · Cuyahoga Co.
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
(c) Ad Konings, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ad Konings · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
BirdsIn Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia (A. Wilson, 1810)

Song Sparrow in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Passerellidae
Genus
Melospiza
Near Cuyahoga County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 2 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (9)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (49)
  • Recorded, season not shown (28)
  • Season shown (2)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Song Sparrow by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Athens County54 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Butler County57 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clark County36 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Clermont County28 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Clinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Coshocton County33 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Cuyahoga County438 · Season shownYes: year-round
Darke County28 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Delaware County21 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Erie County26 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Franklin County264 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Geauga County33 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Greene County98 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Guernsey CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Hamilton County198 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hocking County22 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Holmes County22 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lake County117 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Licking County55 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Logan County33 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lorain County195 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lucas County119 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Medina County72 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Montgomery County55 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ottawa County32 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Paulding CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Portage County75 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Putnam CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Richland County35 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Stark County96 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Summit County854 · Season shownYes: year-round
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Warren County43 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wayne County80 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wyandot County20 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round

Season

When it is recorded

In Cuyahoga County

Late January to late October, middle week Apr 26 – May 2

Show over the bars
Recording in Cuyahoga County · records of all species each week, 92,154 in all

Records per week from 438 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 289 dates. Latest record: November 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Song Sparrow in Cuyahoga County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Song SparrowYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1022468
Jan 11–1711502
Jan 18–2463393
Jan 25–3133380
Feb 1–773590
Feb 8–1442504
Feb 15–2165455
Feb 22–2864583
Mar 1–753567
Mar 8–14137750
Mar 15–2163819
Mar 22–28113780
Mar 29 – Apr 42171,014
Apr 5–112441,655
Apr 12–185262,306
Apr 19–251241,857
Apr 26 – May 23074,135
May 3–92272,830
May 10–162152,640
May 17–23932,938
May 24–30842,903
May 31 – Jun 6822,621
Jun 7–13862,326
Jun 14–20962,465
Jun 21–27552,426
Jun 28 – Jul 4222,632
Jul 5–11652,765
Jul 12–18222,898
Jul 19–25332,860
Jul 26 – Aug 1732,736
Aug 2–8663,021
Aug 9–15542,627
Aug 16–22532,732
Aug 23–29432,388
Aug 30 – Sep 5533,076
Sep 6–12323,578
Sep 13–19643,735
Sep 20–26433,328
Sep 27 – Oct 3552,834
Oct 4–10432,275
Oct 11–171161,937
Oct 18–241381,181
Oct 25–311671,172
Nov 1–774893
Nov 8–1432854
Nov 15–2132485
Nov 22–2832552
Nov 29 – Dec 500448
Dec 6–1211498
Dec 13–1932458
Dec 20–2652575
Dec 27 – Jan 272709

In Ohio

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 5,624 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 5,624 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Song Sparrow in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Song SparrowYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1076106,211
Jan 11–1773105,146
Jan 18–2476104,645
Jan 25–318194,698
Feb 1–777106,023
Feb 8–148975,888
Feb 15–2179105,436
Feb 22–2881106,846
Mar 1–79898,321
Mar 8–141621010,384
Mar 15–211721012,620
Mar 22–281451013,949
Mar 29 – Apr 41741019,661
Apr 5–11194926,860
Apr 12–182531039,925
Apr 19–252141041,623
Apr 26 – May 23051056,391
May 3–92761052,952
May 10–163161053,785
May 17–232441057,698
May 24–301781054,651
May 31 – Jun 6153953,099
Jun 7–131361053,700
Jun 14–201331056,625
Jun 21–271111055,361
Jun 28 – Jul 4135958,477
Jul 5–111051061,336
Jul 12–181021064,722
Jul 19–251041069,753
Jul 26 – Aug 11151059,416
Aug 2–8991059,712
Aug 9–1560955,994
Aug 16–2238954,328
Aug 23–2947851,772
Aug 30 – Sep 538957,167
Sep 6–1231759,075
Sep 13–1929854,543
Sep 20–2631945,860
Sep 27 – Oct 3431043,180
Oct 4–1057937,841
Oct 11–17631030,824
Oct 18–24711021,156
Oct 25–31801019,021
Nov 1–761914,172
Nov 8–1452912,621
Nov 15–213787,965
Nov 22–2844108,136
Nov 29 – Dec 52686,083
Dec 6–124486,004
Dec 13–195895,423
Dec 20–2661105,661
Dec 27 – Jan 297108,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Relatives

In the same genus

Other Melospiza recorded in Cuyahoga County

Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiSwamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • House Sparrow Passer domesticusOften confused in Ohio: 25 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollisOften confused in Ohio: 16 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgianaOften confused in Ohio: 13 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolniiOften confused in Ohio: 11 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceusOften confused in Ohio: 10 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed49%49%
Farmland21%11%
Forest16%31%
Wetland10%5%
Open water2%3%
Grassland and shrub2%0.9%
Barren0.7%0.6%

From 1,783 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Finer identifications

Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:

  • Melospiza melodia melodiaEastern Song Sparrowsubspecies

Every one of these records counts toward the Song Sparrow's season above.

Why some records go further than species

Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.

Names: Catalogue of Life.

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Cuyahoga County result

438 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.