CANFIELD — Several years ago, I relocated our bird feeders from the backyard to the pergola over our deck. Yes, it is messy requiring a thorough spring cleanup, but there are also two advantages.

One: the herd of deer that saw it as an easy meal, and trashed our landscaping in the process, no longer bother it.

And two: it now hangs 10 feet from the family room windows, so I pay much closer attention to who is feeding. (And “Cat TV” keeps our two inside felines entertained.)

A lot of the birds that patronize our feeders are brown, but attention to detail reveals a variety of species. Let’s look at some of our guests. The first brown bird that might come to mind is the sparrow, and several species come to my feeder.

The house sparrow is common in cities and suburbs. Males have a gray head, black bib and light chest, while females are drab brown. They are noisy and usually travel as a flock. I rarely see them. What I do see are song sparrows that nest in the field behind us.

I enjoy their unique song. Brown on the top of the head and streaks on the chest are identifying marks.

Several sparrow species nest in Canada and are only here for the winter.

The white-throated sparrow is easily identified because of the yellow patch between the eye and bill.

It also has an interesting song I hear each fall when it returns to our area. Look for three streaks of bright white on top of the head to identify the white-crowned sparrow.

The tree sparrow has a rusty cap on its head and a cream-colored breast with a black spot in the middle.

The fox sparrow is a larger, handsome bird that might make an appearance in March as it travels through Ohio on its way north.

As its name suggests, its back is rust-colored, and the breast is streaked with rust and cream. There also are gray and dark brown color variations.

The cute chipping sparrow makes an appearance in early spring as it comes out of woods and fields ready to mate.

It is very similar to the tree sparrow, missing only the black spot in the middle of the breast.

By far, the most regular brown bird on our feeder is the female house finch. The male has a pink head and breast and the female is a drab brown. Look for the conical, seed-cracking bill.

If the drab brown birds have a touch of yellow on the wings, they could be pine siskins, an uncommon visitor from Canada.

Other brown visitors to the feeder might include the female red-winged blackbird or the female cowbird. Although they are in Ohio year-round, I don’t see them at the feeder until late winter.

If you feed the birds, look closer at the clientele. You might be in for a surprise.

Steffen is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.