The shadows were growing long and our attention spans were waning as we neared the end of the day of our Christmas Bird Count, 2021, Tom and I had been at it for seven hours, but before we called it a day, there was one more road to drive down—315th Street, less than a mile from our house. We had seen a flock of tree sparrows in a hedgerow along that road for several years running, and yep, there they were this year, too.
We have found that tree sparrows tend to hang out in the exact same spots year after year, despite having arrived at this winter home after a thousand mile trip from their breeding grounds in the high Arctic. How do they locate their winter home with such unerring accuracy? The sparrows were unmistakable, with their rusty caps, clear gray breasts and the tell-tale central dark breast spot. The small flock of about 20 birds was restless in the shrubbery, hopping from branch to branch and twittering softly.
Tree Sparrows superficially resemble Chipping Sparrows, with their gray breasts and rusty caps, but never the twain shall meet. Chipping Sparrows are strictly summer birds, migrating to the southern United States come fall. Meanwhile, the Tree Sparrows, which never spend summer in Minnesota, move in. Tree Sparrows also sport a rusty eye stripe and a. two-toned bill. The Crossley ID Guide, a bird guide I favor more for the written descriptions than the outlandish photo collages, says that Tree Sparrows have a “cute friendly expression” and that the birds “often jump[s] off ground to grab seeds from overhanging grasses.”
Tree Sparrows are attracted to weedy fields and open areas with hedge rows in the winter. They may also come to a backyard seed feeder. They tend to forage on the ground, hopping about or vigorously scratching in the snow. They have been observed pummeling grassheads with their wings to knock loose seed which they can then pick up with their bills. The flexible eaters will take grass, sedge, ragweed and goldenrod seeds, among others. Notably tough, Tree Sparrows have been seen foraging through blizzards.
Most of the birds we count on the Christmas Bird Count are residential birds that live here all year round. Migrators like Snow Buntings and Tree Sparrows are welcome additions to our tally of the locals. Exotic in their own way, the Tree Sparrows of 315th St. were a good way to end our day.
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