HOLDEN – Some birders call sparrows “LBJs,” short for little brown jobs. They can be difficult to identify.

October is the month of the sparrows. All month, they migrate through Maine. Also, some flock to the Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden to eat millet spread on the ground.

The majority are white-throated sparrows. They are plump sparrows with black and white or tan stripes on the head and the back of the neck. Some have a bright yellow spot next to the bill. They are famous for their beautiful song. Many people have heard it in the Maine forest: a plaintive whistle to the rhythm of “Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody.”

To attract sparrows to a feeder, it’s best to buy pure millet seed and spread it thinly. Spreading millet seeds by tossing it upward a handful at a time will spread the millet over an area about 10-feet across. Usually that attracts sparrows, but not squirrels or pigeons.

If you live near woods or shrubs, millet will likely attract a flock of white-throated sparrows. Because they feed on the ground, they are vulnerable to cats. For that reason, don’t feed them near low shrubs.

Cats sit still and quietly, not moving, under a branch. When a sparrow comes near, the cat pounces. For that reason, don’t spread seed near any hanging branch, or shrub, or clump of grass. Also, cats should be kept indoors. Humane societies, veterinarians and those who care about birds agree.

Other common sparrows at feeders are song sparrows, but they don’t come in flocks of a dozen like the white-throats do. At Fields Pond we see song sparrows in pairs, not in flocks.

Other species arrive by one or two, but they are a delight to see. The beautiful fox sparrows are the biggest, adorned with bright – for a sparrow – russet brown and gray. On the ground, they hop forward and scrape the ground backward, elegantly turning up seeds.

Another elegant sparrow that shows up this month is the white-crowned sparrow. The crown of white and black, perched like a cap on the front of its head, makes it unmistakable. Five came to our feeder, delighting all visitors who saw them. Many other people are reporting them at their feeders, too. With their noticeable and unique “crown,” they attract attention. Enjoy these “LBJs” in October – most will be gone in November.

For information on Fields Pond Audubon Center, call 989-2591.