BREEDING BIRD: CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)

Description: A small brown body pairs with the distinctive chestnut cap, white eyebrows and black line running from bill through eye to ear. Breast is grayish-brown. There are two white bars noticeable on outer wing, and the notched tail is slightly longer than similar species. In winter, adult has brown breast and duller coloring. Immature has lightly striped crown and a gray rump. Length: 5 1/4 inches.

Habitat: Lawns, grassy fields, woodlands and orchards.

Diet: Predominantly seeds and some spiders. Can live on dry seeds without water for up to three weeks.

Displays: Unknown.

Nest: Compact and cup-like, usually found seven to 10 feet up in deciduous tree or in a tangle of vines. Constructed of grass and rootlets, then lined with hair or fur.

Eggs: Bluish-green, dark brown markings and often wreathed. Length: 18 millimeters.

Call: A hard, high-pitched seep ; song is a single note rattling or trill of chip .

Notes: Male sings at night. Female is predominant brooder; male will feed brooding female.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).

Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.