Bird Watching - Chipping Sparrow

Sparrows are rather common, and a lot of different types of sparrows show up at our feeders. It is the chipping sparrow, though, that always seems to catch my eye and makes me take a second look.

The chipping sparrow (Spizella passerine) is one of the smallest of the sparrows at only 5-5½ inches. It is also one of the most common. It has grayish underparts, brown-streaked upperparts, whitish wing bars, and gray faces with dark bills. It is the chestnut-colored cap that always catches my eye, though, and then the white stripe over the eye with a black stripe running through the eye. (I also happen to think that they are just really cute little birds. Their faces are not quite as sweet as those of titmice - see my bird watching article on the Tufted Titmouse -- but they do come close.) Chipping sparrows make a chip-chip-chip-chip sound that has been compared to a sewing machine by some and to a little machine gun by others.

The breeding range of the chipping sparrow can be found in Canada from the Yukon eastward through Manitoba and into Newfoundland. It also extends over most of the United States, except the southernmost areas of the Gulf Coast and Florida. They do winter in Florida, however, as well as along the southern border of the United States and into Mexico. (They are also permanent residents in my region of Northeast Tennessee, and I have seen several hopping around on the snow at the feeders.)

These little birds are usually found in the grassy areas at the edge of woods, on lawns, and in parks. They primarily feed on small insects that they find by foraging on the ground. They will also come to your feeders for small seeds such as millet, and they eat black oil sunflower seeds at our feeders. (Do remember to scatter some seeds on the ground for them, though. They seem to prefer to feed from the ground.)

The male will help the female build a nest in a tree, a shrub, or even in vines. Chipping sparrows are nicknamed "hairbirds," because they like to use hair to line their nests. They seem to prefer horsehair; however, they will use other types of hair, such as human or dog. (They have even been known to steal hair from sleeping dogs.) They will lay 2-5 eggs in the nest twice during the breeding season. The eggs are light blue with light-brown spots. The female incubates the eggs for 11-14 days while the male feeds her. The fledglings will then leave the nest 8-11 days later.

Encourage these cute little sparrows to visit your garden and feast on some of the bad insects that might plague it. Give them small seeds (less in the spring and summer) and some place to get water, and you will be able to enjoy them almost year-round.