Spizella passerina
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of New World sparrow, a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range. The chipping sparrow has five subspecies. This bird is a partial migrant with northerly populations flying southwards in the fall to overwinter in Mexico and the southern United States, and flying northward again in spring.
Throughout the year, adults are gray below and an orangish-rust color above. Adults in alternate (breeding) plumage have a reddish cap, a nearly white supercilium, and a black trans-ocular line (running through the eye). Adults in basic (nonbreeding) plumage are less prominently marked, with a brownish cap, a dusky eyebrow, and a dark eye-line.
Juvenile chipping sparrows are prominently streaked below. Like non-breeding adults, they show a dark eye-line, extending both in front of and behind the eye. The brownish cap and dusky eyebrow are variable but generally obscure in juveniles.
Measurements: Length: 4.7–5.9 in (12–15 cm) Weight: 0.4–0.6 oz (11–17 g) Wingspan: 8.3 inches (21 cm) It molts twice a year. In its breeding plumage... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapultepec Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chipping Sparrow sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 1,599 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 135th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chipping Sparrow in San Diego on a given day, against under 5% in January to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chipping Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
30th of 39
Of the 39 cities where we can rate Chipping Sparrow sightings, San Diego ranks 30th at under 5%. The best odds are in Puebla (México, about 50%), Montreal (Canada, about 40%) and Toluca (México, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chipping Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (1,599 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
