The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is regularly seen and heard singing from the treetops of North America – the male uses its song to attract mates as well as defend its territory. A rich, russet-and-grey bird with bold streaks down its white chest, it appears slightly different in different regions – Song Sparrows of the Desert Southwest are pale, while those in the Pacific Northwest are dark and heavily streaked. Song Sparrows of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain are even darker and bigger.