Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerinaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: CHSP Scientific Name: SPIPAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179435

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Chipping Sparrow: Medium, slender sparrow with black-streaked brown back and pale gray underparts. Cap is rufous, nape is gray, throat is white, and face stripes are black-and-white. Black bill. Pink-orange legs and feet. Short flight, alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Chipping Sparrow: Breeds throughout most of the continent from Yukon, Manitoba, and Newfoundland south to California, Texas, northern Florida, and Mexico. Spends winters across southern U.S. southward into Mexico. Preferred habitats include grassy woodland edges, gardens, city parks, brushy pastures, and lawns.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"chip--chip-chip-chip-chip"

Interesting Facts

The head pattern of the Chipping Sparrow changes in fall and winter.

Their nest is so flimsy that light can be seen through it.

During the breeding season, the female develops a bare patch on her abdomen that fills with fluid. This allows more efficient transfer of heat to the eggs.

A group of Chipping Sparrows are collectively known as a "tournament" of sparrows.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Juan Costa

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Chipping Sparrow

● Song: "chip--chip-chip-chip-chip"

● Foraging & Feeding: Chipping Sparrow: Feeds on insects and seeds; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Chipping Sparrow: Two to five blue green eggs, marked with dark brown, blue, and black, are laid in a solid cup of grass and stems, usually lined with hair, and built in shrubbery or in a tangle of vines. Incubation ranges from 11 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Chipping Sparrow: Clay-colored Sparrow has more distinct whiskers and buff breast. Brewer's Sparrow has indistinct stripe behind eye and eye-ring.

Flight Pattern

Short flights with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Chipping Sparrow: Breeds throughout most of the continent from Yukon, Manitoba, and Newfoundland south to California, Texas, northern Florida, and Mexico. Spends winters across southern U.S. southward into Mexico. Preferred habitats include grassy woodland edges, gardens, city parks, brushy pastures, and lawns.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationWidespread

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America