American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) is in the New World Sparrows family (Passerellidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 14,929 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: winter visitor. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph American Tree Sparrow: observations by month (U.S.)
About American Tree Sparrow
The American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), also known as the winter sparrow, is a medium-sized sparrow.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
American Tree Sparrow by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 3,317 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Ohio | 1,553 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Michigan | 1,092 | January | Nov–Apr |
| Minnesota | 1,012 | April | Mar–Apr |
| Wisconsin | 988 | March | Nov–Apr |
| New York | 905 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Massachusetts | 806 | December | Nov–Mar |
| Vermont | 616 | January | Nov–Apr |
| Pennsylvania | 523 | January | Dec–Mar |
| Colorado | 501 | November | Oct–Mar |
| Alaska | 416 | June | May–Jun |
| Indiana | 344 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Kansas | 259 | December | Nov–Mar |
| Missouri | 236 | December | Nov–Feb |
| New Jersey | 222 | January | Dec–Mar |
| Nebraska | 214 | November | Nov–Mar |
| Maine | 203 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Maryland | 196 | February | Dec–Mar |
| Iowa | 191 | December | Nov–Mar |
| South Dakota | 128 | March | Mar–Apr |
| Connecticut | 125 | December | Nov–Feb |
| New Hampshire | 97 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Washington | 94 | January | Jan–Mar |
| Oregon | 89 | December | Nov–Mar |
| Montana | 87 | October | Oct–Nov |
| North Dakota | 85 | April | Mar–Apr |
| Tennessee | 80 | February | Jan–Feb |
| Utah | 73 | February | Nov–Feb |
| Idaho | 66 | January | Nov–Mar |
| Oklahoma | 63 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Virginia | 51 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Texas | 50 | December | Dec–Jan |
| California | 39 | November | Nov–Nov |
| New Mexico | 37 | December | Nov–Jan |
| Rhode Island | 33 | January | Nov–Feb |
| Wyoming | 25 | February | Dec–Mar |
| Delaware | 22 | December | Dec–Feb |
| Kentucky | 22 | February | Dec–Feb |
| West Virginia | 19 | January | Dec–Jan |
| Arizona | 13 | December | Dec–Jan |
| Florida | 13 | April | Apr–May |
| District of Columbia | 8 | January | Jan–Feb |
| Georgia | 6 | December | Dec–Jan |
| Arkansas | 5 | February | Dec–Feb |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (New World Sparrows)
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph American Tree Sparrow?
Nationally, January has the most observations, with the main season from November to April.
Where is American Tree Sparrow most often seen?
The most observations come from Illinois, Ohio, Michigan.