American Tree Sparrow Gallery
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| American tree sparrows winter in our
backyard. Early European settlers saw a
resemblance to their familiar European tree
sparrows. The new name was accepted here, in
spite of the fact that these birds have little
to do with trees and prefer fields and shrubs
and often scratch the ground, and rustle through
the fallen leaves and layers of snow looking for food. |
| November 2010 |
Autumn Arrivals:
The American tree sparrow usually returns to our
yard at the end of November. Because it is
winter here too (and no insects), a change in
diet from bugs to seeds and berries, is a must.
These sparrows will happily come to feeders for
small seeds.
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November 2011 |
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Springtime
Departures: Often around the first week of
April, the American tree sparrow migrates back
to Northern Canada to spend the summer raising a
family. There may be no need for air
conditioners there, but the edges of the tundra
can still supply them with insects.
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| April 1, 2010 - We
occasionally have seen two American tree
sparrows at the same time, but often see only one
on a feeder at a time. Today we saw three
distinct ones (perhaps it was done with mirrors
to honor April Fool's Day). The joke was on us
when it turned out that this was their last day
before heading back to the tundra of northern
north America to have babies. |
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March
20, 2009 - The American Tree Sparrow seems to
have departed. Last year we have pictures of this bird as late as April 8th. It's been noted
that when he goes, the chipping sparrow arrives.
In 2008 this smaller bird made an appearance on
April 6th. They overlapped by two days. I wish I
had captured the two birds together in a photo
to compare the differences "in person".
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| January
2, 2009 - We have been watching for the American
tree sparrow to reappear in our backyard ever
since the weather has turned cold. Last fall
they arrived when the chipping sparrow migrated
to warmer places. We have caught glimpses of one
of these sparrows about once a week since
October. |
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December brought us early snow and ice, but
still only one tree sparrow at a time. The new
snow and ice round that started New Year's Eve
finally also brought us the long-awaited small
flock of tree sparrows. They are especially fond
of the regular finch seed that we have kept
stocked in a tube feeder with a bottom tray (the
goldfinches largely ignore this seed in favor of
sunflower and nyjer seeds. The tree sparrows
make excellent ground clean up crews under most
of those feeders too. |
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Food
guy fondly calls them chipping wannabes. While
larger and sporting a center dark spot on their
otherwise clear breast, they do resemble the
absent sun-loving chipping sparrows. Others must
think so too, as the tree sparrow is often
called Winter Chippy. Welcome back! |
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The American Tree Sparrow was
a frequent winter visitor to our house-style
finch feeder. Even though we were new to
identifying birds, this sparrow was an easy find
in our bird books. The dark spot on his
breast is quite distinctive. He would often be
seen on the tray feeders munching different
seeds and suet along with other hungry
birds of different species.
He left for parts north the
first week of April. We'll be looking forward to
his winter return.
On October 19th we saw this
bird hopping among the unraked leaves. We hope
to soon have clear photos to celebrate his new
winter visit.
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Size:
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Length: 6-6.5 in
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Weigh: .7 oz |
Wingspan: 9.5 in |
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ID:
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Male: Gray head, nape, chin, throat,
breast and under parts; rufous crown and
eye line and patches on sides, flanks
and sides of breast; dark central spot
on breast; black and rufous streaking on
back; 2 white wing bars; dark upper
mandible (bill) and yellow lower
mandible; long, slightly notched tail;
dark feet anisodactylous (three toes
point forward and one toe points
backward)
Female:Same as male
Juvenile: Lacks rufous crown and eye
line; chest and crown are streaked
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Habitat:
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Weedy fields, small and scattered
tree areas, marshes
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Diet:
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Insects in summer; forages for grass
and weed seeds and berries in fall by
scratching ground or snow; wild bird
seed from feeders
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits:Monogamous and
solitary; 1 brood per year
Local Breeding Period: Breeds in
Alaska and Northern Canada
Nests: Cup shaped and made of stems,
moss, rootlets and grass, lined with
feathers, fur or hair; built by female;
usually placed on or near the ground
Eggs:3-7 pale blue with brown spots and
flecks; female incubates 9-14 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
8-10 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Relatively tame; joins flocks of
30-40 birds for winter foraging
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Range:
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Breeding: Alaska and northern Canada
along edge of tundra; can survive in
temperatures as low as -18 degrees to
-28 degrees Fahrenheit
Winter: Northern US except west of the
Rockies; may travel as much as 3000
miles; females and juveniles
usually travel further south
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Vocalization:
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Song is several clear notes followed
by trilled warble; call is tseet; males
sing to establish territory and during
courtship
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 11 years |
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