American Tree Sparrow
(Spizelloides arborea)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
|
||||
| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
||||
| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRN - Unranked Nonbreeding |
||||
| Minnesota | not listed |
||||
Description
The crown and the stripe behind the eye (postocular stripe) are both reddish-brown (rufous). The breast is pale gray and unmarked except for a single dark spot in the center.
Size
Total length: 6″ to 6½″
Wingspan: 9½″
Voice
Similar Species
Habitat
Brushy thickets, semi-open fields, roadside shrubs
Ecology
Migration
Early March to late May and mid-September to late November
Nesting
Food
In summer, mostly insects but also berries. In winter, seeds.
Distribution
Occurrence
Common to abundant migrant and winter visitor
Maps
The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map
Taxonomy
Class
Aves (birds)
Order
Passeriformes (perching birds)
Family
Passerellidae (New World sparrows)
Genus
Spizelloides
Family
New World sparrows were traditionally combined with buntings into the family Emberizidae. Recent phylogenetic analysis (Barker et al. 2013) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis (Klicka et al. 2014) found that the Old World buntings should be separated as a sister to New World sparrows. New World sparrows have been separated into a new family, Passerellidae.
Genus
This species was formerly classified as Spizella arborea. Several mitochondrial DNA studies between 1993 and 2014 supported separating this species into its own genus. In 2014, based on mtDNA data and morphological characters, it was finally reclassified as Spizelloides arborea. Some authorities use the name Passerella arborea.
Subordinate Taxa
Eastern Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea arborea) 
Western Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea ochracea)
Synonyms
Fringilla arborea
Passerella arborea
Spizella arborea
Visitor Photos
Share your photo of this bird.
This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.
Stephen Phillips |
||
Downtown Two Harbors, backyard feeder: October 12, 2025 |
||
 |
 |
|
Lynn Rubey |
||
 |
||
| An American Tree Sparrow in the early morning among some branches below the outcropping in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. This one escaped being a meal for Bald Eagles this morning. |
|
|
 |
 |
|
| American Tree Sparrow In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, along a walking trail off the Auto Tour Road the path ends up by Odessa. | An American Tree Sparrow near the Minnesota River along the Auto Tour Wild Life Drive road. |
|
Laurie Wachholz |
 |
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
|
Slideshows
American Tree Sparrow
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
American Tree Sparrow
JMC Nature Photos
American Tree Sparrow
Joshua Mayer
Visitor Videos
Share your video of this bird.
This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
Other Videos
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)
Carl Barrentine
American Tree Sparrow (Trinity Bellwoods Park)
swiftbirder
American Tree Sparrows in winter
WIld Bird Video Productions
American Tree Sparrow singing.
Owen Strickland
American tree Sparrow
Aflightoffeathers
Visitor Sightings
Report a sighting of this bird.
This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
Stephen Phillips
10/12/2025
Location: Lake County, MN
Downtown Two Harbors, backyard feeder: October 12, 2025
Lynn Rubey
10/28/2019
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
An American Tree Sparrow in the early morning among some branches below the outcropping in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. This one escaped being a meal for Bald Eagles this morning.
Lynn Rubey
10/29/2018
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
An American Tree Sparrow near the Minnesota River along the Auto Tour Wild Life Drive road.
