American Tree Sparrow

The American Tree Sparrow is possibly one of the most easily recognizable birds in the world. The name was given by early European settlers who observed the similarities in appearance of this species to Eurasian Tree Sparrows, a bird species that is equally common in Eurasia.

About American Tree Sparrows

These birds prefer secluded habitats, choosing to breed in remote areas that are not very easily accessible to birders who try to study them. However, they retreat to areas that are more populated during the winters. This is because of the greater availability of food in populated areas than in secluded regions. They are great visitors to the backyard during the winter. They hop through weedy, snow-covered fields across southern Canada and the northern United States.

These birds adapt very well to human populations and are often photographed at their wintering grounds. Their breeding habits are not well-known. Their behaviors at their wintering grounds have helped ornithologists draw parallels between these birds and other Sparrows. Today, we will be discussing these birds in further detail. We will be touching upon:

● American Tree Sparrow Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● American Tree Sparrow Size, Eating Behavior, Habitat
● American Tree Sparrow Range and Migration, Nesting

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American Tree Sparrow Color Pattern

Like many other Sparrows, adults of this species have a rusty cap along with grayish-white underparts. They have a dusky central breast spot, white wings, a rufous eye-line, and a rufous patch on either side. Their legs are pale brown while their feet are blackish. The back is also a rich color, with buffy, black, and brown streaks.

The most distinguishable feature of these birds is their beaks. They’re short, conical, and bicolored with the upper mandible gray and the lower mandible yellow. These birds are monomorphic, meaning that adults of both sexes look identical to each other and do not exhibit any traits that mark them as a particular sex. Juveniles look similar to adults but have a streaked brown crown and dusky streaks on the breast and sides.

Description and Identification

These birds are extremely obscure during the breeding seasons. As they breed in the tundra regions of the far north, they are incredibly hard to spot. However, catching a glimpse of them becomes a lot more accessible during the winters. Small flocks of these Sparrows forage on snowy fields and bird feeders, where they feed on seeds that they pick off the ground. Their bicolored bills and the dusky spot on the central regions of their breasts make them stand out from other Sparrows. Despite their name, these birds are more commonly foraging on the ground rather than in trees.

American Tree Sparrow Song

Only adult males of this species are capable of singing. Each male sings only a single song, with the versions of their songs varying between the different regions of their range. Each song is at the territories of the males that sounds like “e-teeootay-tahtah-geo geo zip, tsitsitsweeeeee, tsweetsweersweerswittswit-sut, and tee-et tsweetswee tsee-it swu”. Males sing not only during and after territorial conflicts but also right before copulation. The complexity of the song is inversely related to the complexity of the songs sung by other passerine species.

Although only males sing, both sexes are capable of emitting a number of calls. The calls are associated with specific behaviors. Commonly heard calls include a two-note feeding call “tweel-wit” and a hard “tseet” alarm note. Juveniles give out a begging call like other passerine birds in their nesting phase.

American Tree Sparrow Size

American Tree Sparrows are small birds that are around 5.5 inches in length. They have round-heads and large amounts of fluff on their bodies. They have a round, plump appearance and weigh approximately 0.5–1 ounces. American Tree Sparrows have fairly small bills, long and thin tails, and pointed wings that have a wingspan of 9.4 inches. These proportions make them the same size as House Sparrows.

American Tree Sparrow Behavior

These birds hop not only on the ground as they forage for food, but also hop along branches. As they scrabble for grass and weed seeds, they call back and forth with soft, musical twitters. They are fond of perching in the open atop goldenrod stalks or shrubs, or in low tree branches. Their flight is direct and slightly undulating as they rapid wingbeats.

These birds are highly territorial and announce their territories with songs. They frequently chase rival males away from their territory, with males generally being responsible for territorial defense. Although physical encounters are rare, they occasionally get into fights where males grapple their opponent in the air, with either one or both of the birds singing. Dominant individuals also displace weaker individuals at foraging grounds, though physical fights do not ensue. Most of all hostile interactions are started by the dominant birds.

Pairs are mostly monogamous, often being together on territories during the breeding seasons and during the winters. Copulation is solicited by the females, fluttering their wings and raising their tails while giving out a repeated “whey-whey-whey”. It is unclear how long this bond lasts and if Sparrows mate for life or simply stick to one mate at a time. These birds are solitary during the breeding seasons, although they gather together in flocks while departing for migration. They also feed on their wintering grounds in flocks, though the membership of the birds may vary within the flocks.

American Tree Sparrow Diet

Like other Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows eat seeds, berries, and insects, but the proportions of these foods may change radically from winter to the summer months. After the end of summer, they maintain exclusively vegetarian diets until the onset of spring. They consume seeds of various grasses, sedge, ragweed, knotweed, goldenrod, alder, spruce along with the occasional berries and catkins; berries that they most commonly consume are blueberries and cranberries. During the breeding seasons, they regularly consume insects, insect eggs, and larvae in order to meet the protein requirement for nesting. Their insect prey includes beetles, flies, leafhoppers, wasps, moths, caterpillars, as well as anthropods like spiders and snails. These protein-rich diets are particularly important for growing chicks, who get accustomed to plant-based diets by their first winter.

American Tree Sparrow Habitat

American Tree Sparrows have a preference for breeding in the far north of North America. They breed in the tundra forests near the Arctic, with most birds nesting in the open tundra. Some territories include at least a few small trees that the males can sing from, along with a source of water nearby. When migration season ensues, they move through weedy fields, marshes, hedgerows, and open forests for foraging between nights of flying. Their wintering habitats are also similar, with the addition of gardens and backyards as they get closer to suburban and urban settlements.

Range and Migration

These Sparrows have a wide range, breeding throughout Alaska and northern Canada in the tundra regions. Migration seasons take them south towards the United States, where they are either wintering along the Pacific coasts of Canada or throughout the mainland of the United States. They are rarely ever south of Texas, with the southernmost part of their range ending in areas of northern Texas.

American Tree Sparrow Lifecycle

The number of broods a female may have in a single season is 1, the pair may attempt to renest if the first attempt fails. Each brood has a clutch size of 4-6 pale bluish or greenish eggs. Incubation is done entirely by the female for 11-13 days, with the male visiting often but not incubating. When the eggs hatch, the nestlings emerge at a completely helpless state with sparse tufts of brownish-gray down. The young are capable of flight around 14-15 days after hatching, but the parents continue to feed the chicks for another two weeks.

Nesting

Nest sites are on or near the ground, presumably chosen by the females. It is generally at a tussock of grass at the base of a shrub, occasionally as high as about 4 feet on a limb of willow or spruce. When nesting in the open tundra with no trees in sight, they may place their nest on a mossy hummock. The nest itself is an open cup of moss, grasses, and shreds of bark and twigs, with the construction being entirely undertaken by females. The cup is then lined with fine grass and feathers, typically from a ptarmigan to provide sufficient insulation to the interiors of the nest.

Anatomy of an American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrows are small-bodied birds that are around 5.5 inches in length. They are round-headed birds that have large amounts of fluff on their bodies, giving them a rounded, plump appearance; they weigh approximately 0.5-1 ounces. American Tree Sparrows have fairly small bills, long and thin tails, and pointed wings that have a wingspan of 9.4 inches. These proportions make them the same size as House Sparrows.

Final Thoughts

American Tree Sparrows are easy to underestimate, but they are some of the most versatile birds there are. They adapt to changes in their surroundings fairly well, with the added advantage of their secluded breeding grounds protecting them from intensive urbanization. However, local populations can still be at a risk from development. Sparrows in the Northwest Territories have high levels of arsenic compounds in their bodies, although the long-term impact of this has not been determined due to their short lifespans.

These birds adjust very well to disturbed territories and human settlements, frequently visible at backyard feeders foraging with other sparrows. Since their preferred diets are rather straightforward, one can set up a feeding station and wait for these birds to inevitably visit. Sparrows are often taken for granted due to their sheer abundance all over the world, but they are no less than any other member of the avian or natural world. So, buckle up! Set up a feeding station during the winters and as you watch these adorably fluffy birds trot to your feeding station, you will be able to witness one of nature’s purest spectacles.

Ornithology

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Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying American Tree Sparrows

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing American Tree Sparrows are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

American Tree Sparrow Stickers

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Bird Feeders ForAmerican Tree Sparrows

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird Houses ForAmerican Tree Sparrows

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