Guide

Look closerBirds

American tree sparrows: the rusty-capped sparrow of winter

November to March

American tree sparrows nest in the far north and spend the winter here, from late fall into early spring. Look for small flocks hopping on the ground in weedy fields, hedgerows, and under backyard feeders.

Why this time of year

Tree sparrows are a common fall and winter bird in eastern Massachusetts and are absent in summer. Late in the fall, the last chipping sparrows can still be around too, so a rusty-capped sparrow is worth a second look.

How to notice it

  1. Check the ground under a feeder or along the weedy edge of a field or hedgerow. Tree sparrows feed by hopping on the ground and picking up seeds.
  2. Look for a rusty cap with a matching rusty line through the eye, a plain gray breast with no streaks, and often a small dark spot in the middle of it.
  3. Look at the bill: it is two-toned, with a yellow lower half.
  4. Listen for the flock calling back and forth with high, musical two-note calls that sound like see-weep.

Try this with kids: Find a sparrow with a rusty cap and check its plain gray chest. Can you see one dark dot right in the middle?

Sources

  • massaudubon.orgPrimary (Mass Audubon species page). 'do not breed in Massachusetts, but they are very common migrants and winter residents'; 'flock eagerly to weedy fields and backyard feeders across Massachusetts'; 'bright chestnut cap'; 'a matching chestnut line through the eye'; 'Their plain breasts have no streaks but often show a small smudge or spot in the center'; 'do much of their feeding on the ground, where they hop about looking for seeds'; 'high, musical two-note calls'; 'see-weep'. No months, no bill.
  • massaudubon.orgPrimary (Mass Audubon State of the Birds). 'very common migrant and winter visitor in Massachusetts'; 'Does not breed in Massachusetts'; winter habitats 'Grassland, Shrubland, Urban and Suburban'.
  • massaudubon.orgPrimary (Mass Audubon). Chipping sparrows 'are rarely encountered in winter, when they are replaced by the larger American Tree Sparrow'; 'any sparrow with a rusty cap at a feeder is most likely an American Tree Sparrow'.
  • fws.govPrimary (USFWS checklist, Great Meadows, Assabet River, Oxbow refuges, May 2010, page 6 table). American Tree Sparrow Sp 'u', S blank, F 'c', W 'c'; F = Sep-Nov, W = Dec-Feb, Sp = Mar-May.
  • audubon.orgPrimary (National Audubon). 'rusty cap, two-toned bill, dark chest spot, and two white wing-bars'; 'Migrates relatively late in fall and early in spring'; 'Except when nesting, usually forages in small flocks'; 'They often come to bird feeders with Dark-eyed Juncos'; winter habitat 'open fields, woodland edges, marshes, suburban areas'.
  • stateofthebirds.nhaudubon.orgNH Audubon. 'a dark spot on its breast and a yellow lower bill'; 'The only time you really have a chance of seeing the two species together is in November' (tree and chipping sparrow); winter in 'weedy fields, shrubby edges, and residential yards with feeders'.
  • northernwoodlands.orgSecondary (Northern Woodlands, Susan Shea, VT). 'In March or April, flocks of tree sparrows depart'; 'winter in the northern two-thirds of the U.S., including the Northeast'; winter flocks use 'weedy fields, marshes, hedgerows, woodland edges, and backyards'.

Checked against these sources on October 23, 2026.

In the guide for November, December, January, February, March

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