2025 Birds of the Carolinas/Birds of the Week CXXI

Spizella passerina

The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of New World sparrow, a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.

This bird is a partial migrant with northerly populations flying southwards in the fall to overwinter in Mexico and the southern United States, and flying northward again in spring.

It molts twice a year. In its breeding plumage it has orangish-rust upper parts, gray head and underparts and a distinctive reddish cap. In non-breeding plumage, the cap is brown and the facial markings are less distinct. The song is a trill and the bird has a piercing flight call that can be heard while it is migrating at night.

 They mostly forage on the ground for seeds and other food items, as well as clambering on plants and trees, feeding on buds and small arthropods. Here in the East, they breed mainly in woodland, farmland, parks, and gardens. [We saw this Chipping sparrow as we left The Farmhouse on the way to The Trailhead Store.] Breeding starts in late April and May and the nest is often built in a tree.

The chipping sparrow feeds on seeds year-round, although insects form most of the diet in the breeding season. Spiders are sometimes taken. Throughout the year, chipping sparrows forage on the ground in covered areas, often near the edges of fields.

The Chipping Sparrow although common in the area is not normally observed by the Stowe Birding Club which track and monitor the birds using their bird houses strategically placed around the Stowe property. [This one Coleman spotted first a short distance from where we were walking. He loves to watch the birds and tries to keep a squirrel out of our bird feeder at home.]

Birds of the Carolinas

Birds of the Week CXXI

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Looking up or looking down you might spot a bird fascinating enough to watch. Maybe even capture their likeness with your camera. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.