Field Sparrow

Overview

The field sparrow, or Spizella pusilla, is a small New World sparrow native to eastern North America. It is a common species classified as 'Least Concern' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though its population is thought to be in slow decline.

Identification

• Approximately 140 mm long and weighing about 12.5 g, with a forked tail.
• Features a grey head with a rust-coloured crown, white eye-ring, and pink bill.
• Upper parts are brown streaked with black and buff, contrasting with a buffy breast and white belly.
• Song consists of a series of sad whistles ending in a trill, resembling the accelerating sound of a bouncing ball coming to rest.

Habitat

This species inhabits bushy country with shrubs and grassland across eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Northern populations migrate south to the southern United States and north-eastern Mexico during the fall, while southern populations remain permanent residents.

Diet

The field sparrow forages on the ground or in low vegetation, feeding mainly on seeds and insects. Outside the nesting season, they may feed in small flocks.

Did you know?

As the season progresses and leaves grow in, the bird builds each new nest higher off the ground than the previous one. Its numbers initially expanded as settlers cleared forests in eastern North America.