Minnesota Seasons - Field Sparrow

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy


Conservation Status
IUCN Red List	LC - Least Concern
NatureServe	N5 - Secure SNRB - Unranked Breeding
Minnesota	not listed Species in Greatest Conservation Need

Photo by Lynn Rubey

Description

Size

5″ to 6″ in length

8″ wingspan

Voice

Similar Species

Habitat

Weedy fields and pastures, woodland edges and clearings, shrubby riparian areas

Ecology

Migration

Late March to October

Nesting

Food

Distribution

Occurrence

Uncommon to occasionally common migrant and breeder

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map


Taxonomy
Class	Aves (birds)
Order	Passeriformes (perching birds)
Family	Passerellidae (New World sparrows)
Genus	Spizella (chipping sparrows)

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.

Subordinate Taxa
Eastern Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla pusilla) Western Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla arenacea)

Synonyms


Visitor Photos

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Lynn Rubey
An adult Field Sparrow climbed up this small bush keeping it eye on me before coming out and perching on a small branch with purple wild flowers in the back ground.


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera

Slideshows

Field Sparrow
Allen Chartier

Field Sparrow
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Field Sparrow
JMC Nature Photos

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

Field Sparrow Rockefeller State Park Preserve
VideoBirder

About

Uploaded on Mar 22, 2010

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) singing at Rockefeller State Park, Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Field Sparrow Portrait
Larry Bond

About

Published on Jul 22, 2013

This sparrow is fairly common in southeastern Canada and United States east of Rockies. It's found in fields with tall grass or scattered saplings. It has a gray face with a rufus crown. Also there is a thin rufous line behind eye. Also it has a thin white eye-ring. with a bright pink bill. The underparts are clear with the breast and sides a buffy-red. The belly is grayish. It has pink legs. The tail is notched.

The song is a series of clear sweet slurring notes speeding into a trill - like a ping-pong ball dropping on a table.

Field Sparrow
The Music of Nature

About

Uploaded on Jul 11, 2010

Field Sparrow in Maine
WIld Bird Video Productions

About

Uploaded on Feb 16, 2012

License at http://www.paya.com/videos/135222

Field Sparrow Singing
Birdchick

About

Uploaded on Jun 21, 2008

Field Sparrow singing on territory at Carpenter Nature Center

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Lynn Rubey
6/9/2020

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

An adult Field Sparrow climbed up this small bush keeping it eye on me before coming out and perching on a small branch with purple wild flowers in the back ground.