# Chipping Sparrow

*Spizella passerina*

Historically known as the 'hairbird' because of its unique preference for lining its nest with horsehair or other animal fur.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Passerellidae › Spizella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Open coniferous or deciduous woodlands, forest edges, suburban parks, and gardens.
- **Diet:** Primarily seeds of grasses and weeds in winter; switches to protein-rich insects and spiders during the breeding season.
- **Range:** North America, Canada, United States, Mexico, Central America
- **Size:** Length: 12-15 cm; Wingspan: 21 cm; Weight: 11-16 g
- **Lifespan:** 5 to 9 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, window collisions, and predation by domestic cats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless and often found in backyards. Maintain a respectful distance of 5-10 feet to observe their natural behavior. Do not disturb nesting sites in low shrubs.

## About

The chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ) is a species of American sparrow, a passerine bird in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range. There are two subspecies, the eastern chipping sparrow and the western chipping sparrow. This bird is a partial migrant with northerly populations flying southwards in the fall to overwinter in Mexico and the southern United States, and flying northward again in spring. It molts...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5162f16c-14a2-4268-83e5-4a2fd8908035
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/9135
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spizella passerina
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/252212101/medium.jpg (Peter Chen 2.0, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.