Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Chipping Sparrow

I saw my first chipping sparrow at Letchworth State Park in western New York State on June 27, 2021. Judy and I were with our son, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Lauren, and it was on the edge of a parking lot while we were near the "Grand Canyon of the East." 
It is a breeding adult with a rusty crown, an unstreaked gray belly and black eyeline. 

This non-breeding chipping sparrow was seen in Shawnee Mission, Kansas on November 1, 2024 while I was accompanying Judy to a conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Note the more subdued color on the head. 

Given its range, particularly in California, I'm surprised I've not seen more of them. The answer might be that they mainly breed in coniferous forests in the west. 

Illustration from Birds of the World. 

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