American tree sparrow

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American tree sparrow
Spizella-arborea-002 edit2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
Genus: Spizelloides
Slager & Klicka, 2014
Species:
S. arborea
Binomial name
Spizelloides arborea
(Wilson, 1810)
Spizelloides arborea map.svg
Synonyms

Spizella monticola
Spizella arborea
Passerella arborea

Contents

American tree sparrow in Central Park American tree sparrow in CP (41285) (cropped).jpg
American tree sparrow in Central Park

The American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), also known as the winter sparrow, [2] is a medium-sized New World sparrow.

Taxonomy

It had been classified under the genus Spizella, but multilocus molecular evidence suggested placement in its own genus.

Description

Measurements: [3]

Adults have a rusty cap and grey underparts with a small dark spot on the breast. They have a rusty back with lighter stripes, brown wings with white bars and a slim tail. Their face is grey with a rusty line through the eye. Their flanks are splashed with light brown. They are similar in appearance to the chipping sparrow.

Distribution and habitat

Their breeding habitat is tundra or the northern limits of the boreal forest in Alaska and northern Canada. They nest on the ground. American tree sparrows migrate into southern Canada and the United States to spend the winter.

Diet and behavior

These birds forage on the ground or in low bushes, often in flocks when not nesting. They mainly eat seeds and insects, but also eat some berries. They are commonly seen near feeders with dark-eyed juncos.

Call

This bird's song is a sweet high warble descending in pitch and becoming buzzy near the finish.

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2021). "Passerella arborea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T22721159A138528295. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22721159A138528295.en . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. Sandrock, James; Prior, Jean C. (2014). The Scientific Nomenclature of Birds in the Upper Midwest. Iowa City, IA, US: University of Iowa Press. p. 137. ISBN   978-1-60938-225-4.
  3. "American Tree Sparrow Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

Further reading

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