American Tree Sparrow

Spizella arboreaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: ATSP Scientific Name: SPIARB ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179432

Head

Topo Map: Perching-like Head

Bill Shape: Cone
Eye Color: Dark brown.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped, Striped, Malar or malar stripe
Crown Color: Red-brown
Forehead Color: Red-brown
Nape Color: Gray
Throat Color: Gray
Cere color: No Data

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Body

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Length Range: 16 cm (6.25 in)
Weight: 20 g (0.7 oz)
Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
Color: White, Gray, Yellow
Underparts: Gray with red-brown patches on sides and black spot on central breast.
Upperparts: Gray with red-brown, black and brown streaking.
Back Pattern: Striped or streaked
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: No Data

Flight

Topo Map: Perching-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Short flights with series of rapid wing beats alternating with wings pulled to sides.
Wingspan Range: 25 cm (9.75 in)
Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
Tail Shape: Notched Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Black
Under Tail: Black with white trim on outer edges.
Leg Color: Gray

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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.

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow: Medium, gray-brown sparrow, black and rufous-brown streaks on back, wings. Crown, eyestripes, flanks are rufous-brown, contrasting with gray face. Pale gray breast with dark central spot, rufous-brown sides. Upper mandible is dark gray, lower mandible is yellow.

● Song: "tweedle-eet, tweedle-eet"

● Foraging & Feeding: American Tree Sparrow: Eats mostly seeds during winter; also eats insects, berries, and small flowers in the summer; scratches on the ground, foliage, or snow when foraging.

● Breeding & nesting: American Tree Sparrow: Three to seven light blue or green eggs with brown spots and flecks are laid in a nest made of stems, bark pieces, moss, and grass, with lining of feathers, fur, and hair. Nest is normally built atop a clump of grass or moss, rarely low in a shrub or tree, 1 to 5 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: American Tree Sparrow: Field Sparrow is smaller, has pink bill, and lacks central breast spot.

Flight Pattern

Short flights with series of rapid wing beats alternating with wings pulled to sides.

● Range & Habitat: American Tree Sparrow: More common in the western U.S. Preferred habitat includes moist deciduous woodlands and willow thickets along streams.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.7 Ounces

Perching-like Head

Perching-like Body

Perching-like Flight

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