Chipping Sparrow - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Emberizidae ( New World Sparrows - 48 Species)
SPECIES: Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

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Chipping Sparrow
The Chipping Sparrow is a gentle, friendly little song bird that shows little fear of humans. They have adapted well to suburban environments and the changes brought about by the increase in the human population. The Chipping Sparrow's nest is often chosen by the Brown-headed Cowbirds (brood parasites) to lay eggs in. They are often confused with the American ...
SIZE	The Chipping Sparrow is a small (5 to 6") song bird.
DESCRIPTION	The Chipping Sparrow has a rusty crown, a small white spot above bill and a white supercilium (thick white line above eye) and a black eyeline stripe (from the bill through the eye to the ear). They have and a brown back streaked with black, brown wings with white wing bars and grayish breast blending into dull white belly. The male and the female have similar plumages, but the female is slightly duller than the male.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 2-5 eggs, which are incubated in 11 to 14 days. Young fledge after 9-12 days. Normally they have 1, sometimes 2 broods in a breeding season. The material for the nest and the building of the nest is done by the female. It usually nests in trees and shrubs. The nest is cup-shaped, built out of dead grass, weed and rootlets lined with fine grasses and hair. They prefer horse hair, but due to the lack of horses in many areas, they will substitute for any hair that they can obtain.
RANGE	During the breeding season, the Chipping Sparrow is common through southeast Alaska, southern Canada, most of the United States, and down into Mexico. In winter they migrate south into southern U.S. and parts of Mexico.
HABITAT	Their preferred habitats include gardens, weedy fields, city parks, golf courses, orchards and woodland edges.
DIET	During the breeding season, their diet consists mainly of insects. After the the young have fledged, they feed in weedy fields and woodland edges mostly for seeds. They are rare visitors to bird feeders.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Chipping Sparrow

Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


ChSp_330A_051034	ChSp_330A_051101


ChSp_330A_051104	ChSp_330A_051078

Chipping Sparrow Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes