HomeBack The Howland Picture Pages: Chipping Sparrow

Page by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2004/03/05 02:41:03 $ (UTC)

The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a small Sparrow equally adapted to areas of urban development as to more natural habitats, where they often frequent the edges of woodlands. They are widespread and fairly common across North America, including our home stomping grounds in Alberta. In fact we usually see a few of these little reddish-brown-crowned birds in our yard each spring and summer.

One way to distinguish them from other similar-looking Sparrows (such as the American Tree Sparrow) is by the bold white supercilium (eyebrow) and black eyeline that extends both behind and to the front of the eye, in summer plumage. The song is also fairly recognizable, although mostly we hear the thin "chip" sound that presumably gave the Chipping Sparrow its name.

Resources where you can find out more:

(click image for larger photo)

Can you spot all of the Chipping Sparrows in this photo? Try the larger image. This was snapped July 31, 2003 in Englewood, Colorado along my favorite creek-side pathway. Perhaps a photo like this would make a good puzzle -- for people who don't mind a little torture.

These Chippers were mixed in with some orangey House Finches, feeding in the same patch of grass.

EXIF 2.2 photo info:

 

  • 320 x 246 true color
  • Exposure time: 1/128.60
  • F-stop: 6.6
  • ISO speed: 100
  • Focal length: 71.2000 (with 1.5X teleconverter)
  • Exposure mode: Auto
  • White balance: Auto
  • Exposure bias: 0.0000
  • Metering mode: Center Weighted
  • Exposure program: Aperture priority
  • Gain control: None
  • Contrast: Normal
  • Saturation: High
  • Sharpness: Hard
  • Camera make: NIKON
  • Camera model: E5700

Larger photo info:

 

  • 640 x 491 true color
  • 199KB

 

This is a Chipping Sparrow we encountered while in Bow Valley Provincial Park, July 26, 2003. We were in the park for a day of birding and general R&R. While walking along a trail, we came to a large fallen tree which was the scene of more activity than we had seen nearly anywhere else that day.

Part of the activity included a couple of Chipping Sparrows hopping through the low, scrubby vegetation. This one approached the trail fairly closely, and gave me a quizzical look as I snapped a photo.

EXIF 2.2 photo info:

 

  • 320 x 363 true color
  • Exposure time: 1/197
  • F-stop: 4.2
  • ISO speed: 100
  • Focal length: 71.2000 (plus 1.5X teleconverter)
  • Exposure mode: Auto
  • White balance: Auto
  • Exposure bias: 0.0000
  • Metering mode: Center Weighted
  • Exposure program: Normal
  • Gain control: None
  • Contrast: Normal
  • Saturation: High
  • Sharpness: Hard
  • Camera make: NIKON
  • Camera model: E5700

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