Editing Song sparrow (section)

==Description==
[[File:SongSparrow-17DEC2016.jpg|alt=Song sparrow|thumb|295x295px|Song sparrow in coastal [[Marin County, California|Marin County]], California]]

Adult song sparrows have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is gray with a brown streak through each eye. They are highly variable in size across numerous subspecies (for subspecies details, see below). The body length ranges from {{convert|11|to|18|cm|in|abbr=on}} and wingspan can range from {{convert|18|to|25.4|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="enature"/><ref name="allaboutbirds"/> Body mass ranges from {{convert|11.9|to|53|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name="CRC"/> The average of all races is {{convert|32|g|abbr=on}} but the widespread nominate subspecies (''M. m. melodia'') weighs only about {{convert|22|g|oz|abbr=on}} on average. The maximum lifespan in the wild is 11.3 years.<ref name="avianlong"/> The eggs of the song sparrow are brown with greenish-white spots. Females lay three to five eggs per clutch, with an average incubation time of 13–15 days before hatching.

In the field, they are most easily confused with the [[Lincoln's sparrow]] and the [[Savannah sparrow]]. The former can be recognized by its shorter, grayer tail and the differently-patterned head, the brown cheeks forming a clear-cut angular patch. The Savannah sparrow has a forked tail and yellowish flecks on the face when seen up close.