April 1, 2010 - We occasionally have seen two American tree sparrows
at one time, but often have only one come to 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.
March
20, 2009 - The American tree swallow 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" .
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.
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.
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!
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 Weigh:
.7 oz Wingspan:
9.5 in
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ID:
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Male: Gray head, nape, chin, throat, breast and underparts;
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 |
