‘ IRD HONOGRAPHS :

PASSIFORMES

Order:

by Donald Wilkinson

CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)

Species: 28-55—071

Family: EMBERIZIDAE - Buntings, Sparrows, and Allies

Distribution: Widespread across Canada from Alaska south of the tree line to Newfoundland

Nest:

Eggs: Diet:

Song:

Size:

and south throughout most of the U.S.A. except around northern Texas and western Kansas and Oklahoma. Winters across southern U.S.A. to northern Nicaragua.

A small cup of dead grass, weed stems, and rootlets lined with fine grasses and hairs, on limb of spruce, pine, or cedar, also in orchard trees usually up to 6 feet above the ground. Uses open grassy woodlands, forest clearings, shores of lakes, ponds, and larger streams and rivers, cottonwood groves, gardens, orchards, and farmyards.

Usually 4; pale blue—green, speckled, spotted, blotched and scrawled with browns, dark blue, and black.

Mainly grass seeds and seeds of clover, ragweed, dandelion, and others; also various beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, bugs, ants, spiders, and wasps. Visit’s bird tables, even hands.

A long series of "chips" rapidly repeated to sound like a thrill all at one pitch. Sometimes sings at night.

13 to 20 cm (5 to 5.75 inches).