Country Ecology: American tree sparrow

I always enjoy seeing the first American tree sparrow while winter approaches as it is a real signal that our warm temperatures will soon be passing. The “winter chippy” joins the dark-eyed juncos and remaining white-throated sparrows to make the statement winter is definitely here.

I like seeing the rusty crown, and then search for the black “stick-pin” on its grayish breast. Another good field mark is the yellow lower mandible. A rusty line extends behind the eye, and two very white wing bars stand out on a warm, rusty brown wing. The obvious long tail is another trait that confirms identification.