A year ago, or so, I saw what I thought was a Chipping Sparrow hop directly in front of the camera. I never realized Chipping Sparrows have bright, yellow eyebrows. Then the Sparrow looked up, displaying a vivid-white bib. Hmmm. Not a Chipping Sparrow. Some quick research introduced me to the White-throated Sparrow. Both Sparrows are shown together in the first image. You can see the similarities of their markings/coloring, so if viewed from a distance it would be pretty hard to tell who is who.
White-throated (L) and Chipping (R) Sparrows
As shown in the second photo, a close-up of the White-throated Sparrow shows he is aptly-named. He's only in Georgia for the winter -- spending his summers mostly in Canada. Like the Chipping Sparrow, the White-throated is a ground feeder. Unlike the Chipping Sparrow, however, the White-throated has a unique foraging approach. I call it the "Hop 'n Scratch" method. Hop Forward -- Scratch Back. It's pretty funny to watch. This behavior just might be the key to discovering a White-throated Sparrow foraging in your yard.
White-throated Sparrow
So ... here you go: Hop Forward - Scratch Back