Friendly Sparrow
The bird featured today is the Chipping Sparrow. These birds where present when I had recently moved to Georgia in the first and second season but then skipped a few seasons until about two years ago when they decided to be frequent visitors to my backyard again. Next are important descriptions to help ID these birds and get acquainted with them.
Throughout the year, adults are gray below and an orangish-rust color above. Adults in alternate (breeding) plumage have a persimmon-red cap, a nearly white supercilium, and a black trans-ocular line (running through the eye). Adults in basic (nonbreeding) plumage are less prominently marked, with a brownish cap, a dusky eyebrow, and a dark eye-line.
Juvenile chipping sparrows are prominently streaked below. Like nonbreeding adults, they show a dark eye-line, extending both in front of and behind the eye. The brownish cap and dusky eyebrow are variable but generally obscure in juveniles.
In eastern North America, chipping sparrows breed in woodlands, farmlands, and suburban and urban districts. In western North America, the chipping sparrow prefers conifer forests for breeding.
Throughout the year, chipping sparrows forage on the ground, often in loose flocks. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and crumbs of mostly any food, especially those fallen on the ground.
Although this bird’s original habitat was probably coniferous forest, especially the eastern subspecies has adapted well to the changes brought about by increased human population in its range. Being familiar with urban feeders.
From my own observations, the Chipping Sparrows are peaceful and not confrontational.
“Their behavior is of gregarious, friendly bird type.”
Photo Gallery
Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101
H.J. Ruiz - Avian101 
Cute little things and information.
Thanks Boeta! 🙂
Great captures, HJ. You highlight the chipper look of the chipping sparrow. 🙂
Thank you Jet! 🙂
What a lovely photo gallery, such good shots of the bird.
Thanks Susan! I appreciate it! 🙂
The cutest ones I have seen for a long time! 🙂 Wonderful gallery.
Happy Easter!
All the best
from the Four of us,
Dina, Klausbernd, Siri and Selma
Happy Holiday friends! Thank you! 🙂
I just love it that you include Sparrows. Soon we’ll get our annual siege of White-crowned Sparrows which hit the feeders like a force–arriving from the South all in a cloud of frantic–almost berzerk–hunger after their migration. Their song (so-called–a kind of zithering trill) kind of gags the regulars (Finches, Juncos) and makes me imagine them sort of muttering under their breaths, ‘oh god, here come the Sparrows’.
A number of sparrow species have their breeding grounds in their breeding grounds in a large area of Canada. Most of the birds that arrive back from their migration in the southern territories will be mating and welcoming the next generation of sparrows. Thanks Lance for sharing! 🙂
I like these visitors of yours HJ.
Thank you Tom! They’re ok. 🙂
I love the shot in the second row right and the last one too. I’m so happy to have found your blog. You found mine first. I love birds. I love everything about them. You bring more of them into my life at an intimate level. Thanks so much.
I’m happy to know that my blog is important in your life.Thank you! 🙂
Great pictures and description! I find it so difficult to identify many small birds particularly as they can have so different markings and colors during the breeding season. You are doing a wonderful job in educating us, H.j.! I better keep myself to bigger birds and little hatchlings 🐣 🙂
Thank you so much Tiny, I’m glad to help with the ID of birds. I understand, you have the new hatchling to observe. 🙂
More great shots of a lovely little bird. Thanks!
Thank you Jane! 🙂