American Tree Sparrow

Spizella arboreaOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Grassland with scattered trees, Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Marshes

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

Light blue or green with brown spots and flecks

Number of Eggs:

3 - 7

Incubation Days:

12 - 13

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Stems, bark pieces, moss and grass., Lined with feathers, fur, and hair.

Migration:

Migratory

Overview

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.

Range and Habitat

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

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Readily Eats

Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

American Tree Sparrow: Song is a series of clear introductory notes followed by a variably trilled melody. Call is "tweedle-eet, tweedle-eet."

Similar Species

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

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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

● 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

Field Guide to Birds of North America