I have a flock of these cute little birds in my backyard. They are brown and black above and gray below. This bird has a black-and-white-striped head with a bright white throat. There is a yellow spot in front of each eye. Its length is between 6.3 – 7.1 inches. It weighs between 0.8 – 1.1 oz. with a wingspan is between 7.9 – 9.1 inches.
These birds stay near the ground. I have not seen them on any of my feeders. They scurry quickly across the ground so it is difficult to get a photo. They blend in with the fall leaves. They can be seen scratching through the leaves for food. In my backyard, these birds like the shrubs in my front yard and the overgrowth along the fence line. They live here year round.
They eat mainly seeds from grasses and weeds. If they visit a feeder, it is usually a platform feeder. I need to add one of those to my backyard. They will eat black oil sunflower seeds and millet from backyard feeders. I throw some seed down on the ground where they are always scratching through the leaves. As you can see in the video, one bird in particular has claimed the territory as his own. In the spring, they can be seen eating the buds and blossoms of trees. In the video, this small bird took on a male Cardinal and won.