Sparrows can be a challenge to identify for birders of any skill level. These little brown birds blend into the background and many of the most widespread sparrows look very similar. Even so, there are visual cues you can use to tell these sparrows apart. Here are a few species commonly reported on checklists during the Great Backyard Bird Count. Do you know which bird in this group is the Chipping Sparrow? Kudos if you can ID all four birds!
Did you get a good look? Check out the answer by scrolling down...
That's right, A was the correct answer!
A: Chipping Sparrow
B: White-crowned Sparrow
C: American Tree Sparrow
D: House Sparrow
A: Yes, this is the Chipping Sparrow! Chipping Sparrows look a little different in winter than they do during breeding season. Still, they can be spotted by their dark eyeline and rusty cap.
B: This sparrow with its gray chest, long tail, and distinctive eyeline and crown is a White-crowned Sparrow. Adult White-crowned Sparrows have black stripes through the eyeline and at the crown, with a stripe of white above the eye and at the center of the head.
C: The American Tree Sparrow looks very close to a Chipping Sparrow, but careful attention to the eyeline can help with an ID. An American Tree Sparrow has a redder, lighter eyeline than a Chipping Sparrow, a spot on its breast, and a starkly colored bill that is black on top and yellow on bottom. In winter, the tree sparrow also has a brighter crown.
D: Female and immature House Sparrows can be tricky since they lack the bold gray crown and black bib of adult males. Shape is an important clue: House Sparrows are native to Eurasia and unrelated to our native sparrows—see how this female House Sparrow has a bulkier body, shorter tail, and thicker bill than the others in the quiz?
So how did you do? We hope you'll put your ID skills to use during this year's Great Backyard Bird Count, February 18–21. Participate alongside a community of birders by submitting a bird count from anywhere in the world, and help us learn more about our bird populations worldwide.
Take a look at the resources below for even more sparrow information you can use for more keys to ID.
There are 43 species of New World sparrows commonly found in the United States and Canada, and many of them are difficult to tell apart. Learn the keys to ID for the Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Vesper Sparrow in this free article from Living Bird Magazine.
Whether you're at home or out in the field, these helpful four-sheet sparrow reference guides have full-color photos of eastern, central, western and widespread sparrows. You can download, print out, and bring these guides with you, courtesy of the Cornell Lab's Macaulay Library and Bird Academy