A knowledge of this bird’s preferred habitat of thickets, the edges of marshes, and weedy open areas with scattered trees begs the question of its name. In fact, it was given its name because of its likeness to the European Tree Sparrow.

It is a common migrant in Michigan, while in winter in Leelanau County it is a less common but not unusual visitor to feeders that border its preferred habitats. Bird banding verifies that this bird often visits the same feeders year after year. It breeds along the edge of the tundra where it nests, for the most part, on the ground.

The identification of this bird in the field is complicated by its resemblance to the field sparrow, chipping sparrow, and swamp sparrow. All of these and the tree sparrow have chestnut caps. All except the swamp sparrow have white wing bars. All have light colored breasts.

It distinguishes itself from the other three by the fact that it is the only one of these that has a black dot in the center of its breast and that has mandibles of dissimilar color. Its lower mandible is yellowish and the upper is blackish.

Its song is a pleasing, somewhat high frequency, lyrical lilt. Its other vocalization is a much quieter, brief, high frequency tsee which it emits while feeding and possibly to indicate potential danger.

It is usually not seen in the fall in Leelanau until October and is rarely seen in the spring after May 10.

~bob c.