American Tree Sparrow

Spizelloides arborea

Despite the name, nests on the ground in arctic shrub. Winters in flocks that kick through snow for seeds.

Population: Common but in steep long-term decline (Cornell Lab: "Common Bird in Steep Decline" per Partners in Flight); no single authoritative current global numeric estimate was retrieved this session
Habitat: Breeds in tundra and scrubby areas at or above treeline in the far north; winters in weedy fields, brushy edges, marshes, snow-covered open fields, and open woodlands (including backyards) across southern Canada and the northern/central United States
Fun fact: Despite its name, the American Tree Sparrow is almost entirely a ground-dweller — it forages and nests on or near the ground in scrubby tundra, rarely using trees at all.
Range: Breeds across Alaska and northern Canada tundra/northern limits of boreal forest; winters across southern Canada and the contiguous United States, concentrated in the northern and central states
Diet: Primarily seeds foraged from the ground and grass/weed heads, especially in winter (requires roughly 30% of body weight in food daily); insects and some berries, especially during the breeding season
Size: 0.14 m
Wingspan: 0.24 m
Lifespan: 10 years

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