{"id":49368,"date":"2017-11-09T05:06:50","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T12:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=49368"},"modified":"2025-02-20T10:49:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T16:49:06","slug":"american-tree-sparrow-on-antelope-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/09\/american-tree-sparrow-on-antelope-island\/","title":{"rendered":"American Tree Sparrow on Antelope Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been having fairly good luck spotting American Tree Sparrows this fall and when this one popped up on top of a greasewood yesterday I was delighted.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow on Greasewood – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/5000, ISO 640, Nikkor 5oomm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I had been photographing American Gold Finches, White-crowned Sparrows and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> when this American Tree Sparrow showed up by itself.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow showing its bi-colored bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/5000, ISO 640, Nikkor 5oomm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I really liked how the bi-colored bill of this American Tree Sparrow showed up so well in this photo and how the rufous crown is raised up like a crest. It also shows the dark spot on its breast and the rufous stripe behind the sparrow’s eye well too.<\/p>\n

American Tree Sparrows breed in northern Canada and Alaska and overwinter in southern Canada and the U.S. except for the southern most states. I’m always glad to see them arrive here in Utah.<\/p>\n

American Tree Sparrows need to eat enough food each day to take in about 30% of their body weight daily, lack of food for even a day can cause death for these lovely sparrows. That means they forage even during horrible weather.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow in northern Utah – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/5000, ISO 640, Nikkor 5oomm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I could wish that this American Tree Sparrow had been closer, that it has chosen to land on fluffy rabbitbrush instead of a messy looking greasewood or that I had photographed it showing some interesting behavior but honestly I am just happy to have seen and photographed it when I did.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Birds make my life better.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my American Tree Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been having fairly good luck spotting American Tree Sparrows this fall and when this one popped up on top of a greasewood yesterday I was delighted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2133,511,27,1022,26],"tags":[4004,2815,6225,1830,4104,6226,9116,855,4195,2134,9114],"class_list":["post-49368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-tree-sparrows","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-tree-sparrow","tag-bi-colored-bill","tag-greasewood","tag-perched","tag-rufous-crown","tag-rufous-stripe","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spizelloides-arborea","tag-tree-sparrow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-6108.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cQg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":100931,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/20\/world-sparrow-day-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":0},"title":"World Sparrow Day 2022","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is World Sparrow Day and since I love all of the sparrows on the planet I thought I'd share some of the sparrows I have photographed in North America.","rel":"","context":"In "American Tree Sparrows"","block_context":{"text":"American Tree Sparrows","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/emberzine-sparrows-allies\/american-tree-sparrows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow in a hackberry tree, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49611,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/29\/american-tree-sparrows-galore\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":1},"title":"American Tree Sparrows Galore","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm seeing more American Tree Sparrows than I've seen since I moved to Utah in 2009 and I hope that means they had a very successful breeding season in 2017.","rel":"","context":"In "American Tree Sparrows"","block_context":{"text":"American Tree Sparrows","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/emberzine-sparrows-allies\/american-tree-sparrows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Tree Sparrow up close, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110201,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/13\/perky-song-sparrow-on-a-greasewood-perch\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":2},"title":"Perky Song Sparrow On A Greasewood Perch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday I had a few seconds to photograph a perky Song Sparrow perched on a greasewood at Farmington Bay WMA just before I started to head towards home.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perky Song Sparrow on a greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":121898,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/26\/winter-white-crowned-sparrow-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":3},"title":"Winter White-crowned Sparrow Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I haven't seen as many sparrows this winter as I typically do, so I was tickled to take a few White-crowned Sparrow portraits at Farmington Bay WMA on Friday.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter White-crowned Sparrow adult portrait, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-winter-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9496.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-winter-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9496.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-winter-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9496.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-winter-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9496.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51108,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/01\/photographing-american-tree-sparrows-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":4},"title":"Photographing American Tree Sparrows in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I had a great deal of fun yesterday morning while photographing the American Tree Sparrows that I found in abundance on Antelope Island State Park foraging on the ground and perching on the bushes on the northern end of the island.","rel":"","context":"In "American Tree Sparrows"","block_context":{"text":"American Tree Sparrows","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/emberzine-sparrows-allies\/american-tree-sparrows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Tree Sparrow on a bright winter day, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115905,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/16\/young-song-sparrow-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":49368,"position":5},"title":"Young Song Sparrow at Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 16, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was visiting Farmington Bay WMA last week, a young Song Sparrow showed up in my viewfinder and perched in a greasewood shrub for a few moments.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Song Sparrow at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/song-sparrow-immature-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-9465.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/song-sparrow-immature-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-9465.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/song-sparrow-immature-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-9465.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/song-sparrow-immature-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-9465.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}