Chipping Sparrow: A Surprise Backyard Visitor!

The rewards of maintaining a backyard bird feeding station are unending, compounded by the ever-present possibility of great surprises!  This winter, I have hosted the expected flock of White-crowned Sparrows, with a few Golden-crowned Sparrows thrown in for good measure, a handful of Dark-eyed Juncos, doe-eyed Mourning Doves, dozens of goldfinches and House Finches, and, much to my delight, a small flock of Pine Siskins!  In my town, which is not known for an abundance of natural habitat (frankly, there is none) or wildlife, this is exciting indeed! 

A few days ago, I glanced out the window and was momentarily awe-struck by a new bird, a sparrow with a striking rusty red crown and distinct black eye stripe, feeding alongside my regular guests.  

Quite the surprise: a dashingly handsome Chipping Sparrow at my feeder!

Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) are not common in the Central Valley during any season, and most sightings of this species occur as they pass through during migration.  (In fact, according to data on eBird, mine is the first record of a Chipping Sparrow within an 8-10 mile radius!)  A local birder who is much more experienced than I am suggests this bird could be a very early migrant, as they typically begin coming through our area in late March.  A flock of nearly two dozen Chipping Sparrows has been spending the winter around Henderson Park along the Merced River in Snelling, which is about 22 miles east of my backyard, as the sparrow flies; perhaps this individual was separated from them.

Chipping Sparrows are common feeder birds in some parts of the U.S.  This one stopped by to enjoy some millet.

The typical range of Chipping Sparrows in California is generally restricted to mountains and woodlands surrounding the Central Valley; in the winter, they move into Southern California and farther south.  Chipping Sparrows are familiar across much of the United States and Canada, where favorable habitat exists.  These striking sparrows prefer open forests and woodlands with grassy openings and plenty of edge habitat; this preference makes them well-suited for life alongside human development in altered habitats, as they are at home in suburban parks and yards.  

With a flair for the English language that has waned considerably of late, a naturalist of the 1920's, Edward Forbush, called the Chipping Sparrow "the little brown-capped pensioner of the dooryard and lawn, that comes about farmhouse doors to glean crumbs shaken from the tablecloth by thrifty housewives."  What an idyllic picture!   

According to Kaufman's book Lives of North American Birds, the Chipping Sparrow was the common sparrow of towns and cities in the 19th century, before the introduced English House Sparrow took over.

Like the brilliant Northern Cardinal and charming Tufted Titmouse, the Chipping Sparrow is well-known to backyard birders on the east coast of the United States, and virtually unknown in California's Central Valley.  (I do envy east coast birders at times... but only at times!)  In fact, my first introduction to this attractive little sparrow took place on a Revolutionary War battlefield in North Carolina!  Imagine how delighted I was to list the Chipping Sparrow as the 50th species of bird recorded in my own backyard!