Types › Types of Sparrows

Types of Sparrows

Little brown birds, the group that makes even good birders sigh. But sparrows reward a closer look: a crisp head stripe, a breast spot, or a rusty cap sorts most of them out. From the year-round Song Sparrow to the winter juncos and White-throats, here are the sparrows in the Huck field guide.

42 sparrows in the Huck field guide. Tap any one for identification, habitat, diet, and a live sightings map.

American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Spizelloides arborea
Bachman's Sparrow
Bachman's Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalis
Black-striped Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
Arremonops conirostris
Black-throated Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Brewer's Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Clay-colored Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Spizella pallida
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Field Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Fox Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
House Sparrow
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Lark Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Lincoln's Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Peucaea carpalis
Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
Vesper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Baird's Sparrow
Baird's Sparrow
Centronyx bairdii
Bell's Sparrow
Bell's Sparrow
Artemisiospiza belli
Botteri's Sparrow
Botteri's Sparrow
Peucaea botterii
Cassin's Sparrow
Cassin's Sparrow
Peucaea cassinii
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapilla
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
Harris's Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Zonotrichia querula
Nelson's Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Ammospiza nelsoni
Olive Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Arremonops rufivirgatus
Orange-billed Sparrow
Orange-billed Sparrow
Arremon aurantiirostris
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Rusty Sparrow
Rusty Sparrow
Aimophila rufescens
Sagebrush Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow
Artemisiospiza nevadensis
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Ammospiza caudacuta
Seaside Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Ammospiza maritima
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Peucaea ruficauda
Striped Sparrow
Striped Sparrow
Oriturus superciliosus
Henslow's Sparrow
Henslow's Sparrow
Centronyx henslowii
LeConte's Sparrow
LeConte's Sparrow
Ammospiza leconteii
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
Melozone kieneri
Black-chinned Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow
Spizella atrogularis

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Common questions

What is the little brown bird at my feeder?

In winter it is often a Dark-eyed Junco, a House Sparrow, or a White-throated or White-crowned Sparrow. Look at the head: bold stripes, a rusty cap, or a plain gray hood are the fastest tells, and each sparrow page below shows them.

How do you identify sparrows?

Start with the head pattern and the breast. Is there a central breast spot (Song, American Tree), bold black-and-white crown stripes (White-crowned), a yellow spot by the eye (White-throated), or a rusty cap (Chipping, Field)? Habitat and season narrow it further.

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