Spizelloides arborea
The American Tree Sparrow, *Spizelloides arborea*, is a quintessential winter visitor across much of North America, arriving as a harbinger of colder months and departing with the first signs of spring. This medium-sized sparrow measures 12.5-16 cm (5-6.3 in) in length with a wingspan of 17.5-25 cm (6.9-9.8 in) and weighs 15-28 g (0.5-1 oz). Its most distinctive field marks include a striking rusty-red cap, a plain gray face, and an unstreaked gray breast adorned with a singular, often faint,...
Breeds in the open tundra, taiga, and shrubby boreal forests of the Arctic and Subarctic; winters in open brushy fields, weedy agricultural areas, hedgerows, and suburban gardens.
Primarily granivorous, consuming small seeds of grasses and weeds (e.g., ragweed, pigweed, millet, smartweed); supplements its diet with insects, spiders, and other invertebrates during the breeding season and for feeding young.
These sparrows are primarily diurnal, actively foraging for seeds and insects, often scratching vigorously with both feet to uncover food from snow or leaf litter, sometimes creating distinct 'feeding craters.' During winter, they are highly social, forming large, active mixed-species flocks, fre...
The American Tree Sparrow boasts an extensive range across North America. Its breeding grounds span the Arctic and subarctic regions, primarily in Alaska, throughout Canada from the Yukon Territory eastward to Labrador, and extending into northern Quebec and Newfoundland. In winter, this species ...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the American Tree Sparrow primarily forages on the ground, not in trees, often scratching through snow to find seeds. The "tree" in its name refers to its association with boreal forests and treeline habitats in its breeding range. - Its bicolored bill—dark on top, yellowish o...