Chipping Sparrow

The Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, is a small sparrow.

Adults have a rusty cap, a dark bill and grey underparts. They have a tan back with dark stripes, brown wings with white bars and a slim tail. Their face is grey with a black line through the eye. They are similar in appearance to the American Tree Sparrow.

Their breeding habitat is wooded areas including suburban parks and farmland across most of North America. They usually nest in trees, coniferous or deciduous, or sometimes on the ground.

These birds migrate to the southern United States and south to Mexico.

These birds forage on the ground or in low bushes, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and seeds.

These birds usually travel in flocks outside of the breeding season. The song is a simple trill. Although this bird's original habitat was probably coniferous forest, it has adapted well to the changes brought about by increased human population in its range.