When snow falls upon my yard in good amounts, I look for hardy winter birds just 5.5 inches long and weighing about as much as a slice of bread to appear beneath my feeders.
They’re called American tree sparrows — and they leave their homes in Canada to spend winter in the northern and central United States in winter. I’m not quite sure why they’re called tree sparrows, because they don’t nest in trees, and they’re typically found in fields and atop snowy landscapes in winter.
Perhaps it is because they breed near the northern tree line adjacent to the tundra, or because a male tree sparrow may perch on a stunted tree near the tundra to sing to its mate.
But here in northern Illinois, tree sparrows are typically found roosting in low shrubby fields, feeding on the seeds of wild plants exposed in winter. If enough snow falls — and we’ve gotten our share in the past several days — tree sparrows may come in fairly large numbers to seek food beneath feeders in yards.
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To my delight, after the first of two snowstorms, I discovered about 10 tree sparrows grabbing the leftovers and dropped seeds from below a feeder. Kenn Kaufman, author of “Birds of North America,” noticed that just before a big snowstorm hit Ohio where he lives, more than 70 American tree sparrows visited space near his feeders to eat. Before that storm, he had seen only one tree sparrow.
Tree sparrows are delicate-looking birds, among the smallest of the approximately 20 different species of sparrows seen regularly at different times of the year in northern Illinois. It’s one of few sparrow species that can be seen in winter. It has a rufous cap, a rufous stripe behind the eye, two white wing bars, streaky brown and tan upper parts and the “cutest” little black dot on its plain breast.
Calling a bird cute goes against the scientific concept of anthropomorphizing — meaning giving human traits to wildlife. But I can’t help calling the tree sparrow (along with black-capped chickadees) cute.
It’s fun to watch this sparrow in winter as it scratches snow to find seeds, or hangs onto short grasses and forbs to pluck seeds. Sometimes, I’ll hear several of them give soft tinkling calls.
Tree sparrows can survive the cold temperatures of the north — but when the snow gets too deep, they need to fly south to find food. The recent snows here in their winter vacation paradise, aka northern Illinois, have hidden the plants upon which tree sparrows have been feeding out in fields. That’s why more show up in yards with feeders where seeds are available.
As spring approaches, tree sparrows sing musical whistles — a cue that they will soon leave to fly 2,000 miles or more back north to breed. It’s a stunning concept that this tiny creature can fly at night all those miles to get back to its summer home.
Perch and be counted
The American tree sparrow is one species I’m quite confident I will document during the Great Backyard Bird Count — which occurs this year from Feb. 15-21.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society started the Great Backyard Bird Count in 1998 as an online citizen science project to gather data on wild birds and post the results.
For four days in middle February, people worldwide are invited to watch and count birds in their favorite spots and report what they see.
The event might be called a backyard bird count, but data can be taken from wherever you like — a natural area near your home, a forest preserve or from your window.
No matter where you count and what your skill level, your observations help scientists better understand global bird populations. In recent years, the data has shown some birds spending winters farther north than usual, which could be due to climate change and warmer winters.
Participating is as simple as watching and documenting birds for 15 minutes or more at least once over the four days of the count. Visit birdcount.org to learn where to report your findings and how to participate.
In 2020, the recorded number of participants was 268,674. They counted 6,942 different species of birds in 94 countries.
In Illinois, last year, 140 species were counted with 74 in Lake County, including the northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch and American tree sparrow. One observer from Waukegan recorded 50 tree sparrows in one place last year during the count.
Winter survival
It’s amazing that tiny songbirds, which include the chickadee, cardinal, nuthatch and tree sparrow, can survive the cold, snowy winters. But as long as they can find food, they have ways to cope with the extreme weather. When a storm approaches, these birds seek shelter in shrubs, tree cavities and other natural areas that are slightly warmer than the open air. They also have many feathers that serve as insulation — and the blood in their feet is cold so they can perch safely on a cold surface.
Songbirds also sense a change in air pressure that might signal bad weather ahead — that’s when they are apt to crowd your feeders and chow down before the storm hits. They’re packing on the weight so if they can’t get to food for a couple of days they will survive.
So, stock your feeders and watch those hardy birds including tree sparrows brighten your yard. They may even turn out to be great weather forecasters.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the baiduhai and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to [email protected]
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