Counterintuitively, American Tree Sparrows spend most of their time on the ground. They forage for food in weedy, grassy, and marshy areas, often in open fields adjacent to forests. They spend their summers very far north. Spot them in Alaska and in Canada’s Northwest Territories and northern Nunavut. Come winter, you can find them in most of the lower-48.

American Tree Sparrows are full-bodied birds. They have buffy sides and clean, white-gray breasts. They have streaky brown, black, and white wings. Their heads are gray. Look for a rust-colored cap and a rust-colored streak running from their beak to the back of their head. Their beaks are gray and yellow.

American Tree Sparrows are one of the most common fall captures at Creamer’s Field Migration Station, but we see very few of them during spring migration. As one of the last species to migrate through the area, when they begin showing up in our nets in September, it’s a sign that migration for other species is winding down. We have banded over 10,000 tree sparrows since CFMS began operations in 1992.