Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
American Tree Sparrow
There’s more to this little brown bird than meets the eye.
© Jen Goellnitz
The American Tree Sparrow is a common winter visitor in the northern U.S. Despite their name, these sparrows stay close to the ground. When foraging, they’ll kick through leaf litter with their powerful feet, beat seedheads open with their wings or grab a bite from a backyard feeder. Sadly, American Tree Sparrow populations have steeply declined since the 1970s. You can welcome these birds to your neighborhood by growing native plants, keeping cats indoors, and filling bird feeders with a millet-rich seed mix.
This episode is dedicated in memory of Pat and Jo Ann Adams of Hartville, Ohio — who enjoyed caring for backyard birds and shared that joy with others.
BirdNote®
American Tree Sparrow
Written by Ariana Remmel
This is BirdNote.
The American Tree Sparrow is a common winter visitor in the northern US. But there’s more to this little brown bird than meets the eye.
[American Tree Sparrow]
Despite their name, American Tree Sparrows stay close to the ground. They’ll even nest directly on the ground in open shrublands of Alaska and northern Canada. In their summer home, the sparrows raise their young on protein-packed bugs and juicy insects.
[American Tree Sparrow]
In winter, American Tree Sparrows rely on seeds from grasses, wildflowers, and bird feeders — especially millet. When foraging, they’ll kick through leaf litter with their powerful feet and beat seedheads open with their wings.
You’ll often find them foraging in mixed flocks with other species. Keep an eye out for a little brown sparrow with a dark spot on its cream-colored chest and a two-toned bill that’s black on top and yellow underneath.
[American Tree Sparrow]
Though American Tree Sparrows are common in North America, their populations have steeply declined since the 1970s. You can welcome these birds to your neighborhood by growing native plants, keeping cats indoors, and filling bird feeders with a millet-rich seed mix.
[American Tree Sparrow]
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
This episode is dedicated in memory of Pat and Jo Ann Adams of Hartville, Ohio — who enjoyed caring for backyard birds and shared that joy with others.
###
Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. American Tree Sparrow ML131470 recorded by Gerrit Vyn, ML39177491 recorded by Paul Marvin, and ML637027463 recorded by Zachary Ginn.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote April 2026 Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# ATSP-01-2026-04-24 ATSP-01
Reference:
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amtspa/cur/introduction
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Tree_Sparrow/overview
