{"id":80558,"date":"2021-03-06T05:59:42","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T12:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=80558"},"modified":"2025-02-20T15:04:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T21:04:16","slug":"american-tree-sparrow-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/06\/american-tree-sparrow-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"American Tree Sparrow In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I was thrilled to spot and photograph an adult American Tree Sparrow high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was the first time I had seen this species at such a high elevation. Usually I see them at lower elevations of the Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult American Tree Sparrow perched on a fence \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I did a bit of research on eBird<\/span><\/a> and found sightings of American Tree Sparrows at much higher elevations in other states. One sighting was at Cripple Creek, Colorado which is almost 9,500 feet in elevation.<\/p>\n

Due to my sighting yesterday and my research I learned that I should be looking for American Tree Sparrows in locations that I haven’t been.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult American Tree Sparrow foraging on frosty ground \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The American Tree Sparrow I found yesterday flew from the fence it had been perched on to the edge of the dirt road. The sparrow picked something up from the frosty ground and ate it.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow in roadside snow \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the sparrow moved and stopped in the snow at the edge of the road. Its rufous crown was raised and the bird seemed curious about something.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow foraging next to a dirt road \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

American Tree Sparrows breed in far northern North America and can be found in northern and central North America during the winter. Typically I start seeing them around late October to early November and my sightings stop in February when they leave on migration and head towards their breeding grounds. This American Tree Sparrow may be my latest sighting of this species. (Update: I have seen this species as late as March 17th.)<\/p>\n

\"ExcitedExcited American Tree Sparrow \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I wasn’t thinking about that though as I photographed this sparrow as it foraged along the road. I was thinking about how beautiful it was in the morning light and about how fortunate I was to have it in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow high in the Wasatch Mountains \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This American Tree Sparrow was silent as it foraged for seeds that may have been exposed when the dirt road was plowed. I would have enjoyed hearing it call<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow in the snow \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I only had this sparrow in my viewfinder for a little over a minute during which time I took sixty images of it foraging, looking around, and walking on the snow.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Roadside\"Roadside
<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n

Roadside American Tree Sparrow adult \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Click and pull the white arrow to the left to reveal some of the ID features I use to determine that this is an American Tree Sparrow.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

I get asked what these sparrows are<\/em> frequently during the winter, even most of the year, so I’ve worked up these before and after images above that shows the key ID features I look for when I am identifying this species. Perhaps it will help other people to identify American Tree Sparrows when they see a little brown bird with a rufous eyeline and crest with a bicolored bill.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure I will see any more American Tree Sparrows<\/span><\/a> until fall migration which makes me kind of sad because I adore these sparrows. I will miss them while they are gone.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/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<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I was thrilled to spot and photograph an adult American Tree Sparrow high in the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[2133,163,27,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,2815,215,11082,6234,4069,2326,5300,4050,855,4195,2134,1732,9114,30,4176,373],"class_list":["post-80558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-tree-sparrows","category-bird-identification","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-american-tree-sparrow","tag-bird-id","tag-identifcation","tag-key-identification-features","tag-mountains","tag-road","tag-roadside","tag-snow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spizelloides-arborea","tag-summit-county-2","tag-tree-sparrow","tag-utah-2","tag-wasatch-mountains","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-adult-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-6616.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-kXk","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52842,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/06\/30\/chipping-sparrow-collecting-nesting-materials-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":80558,"position":0},"title":"Chipping Sparrow Collecting Nesting Materials in the Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A few weeks ago while up in the Wasatch Mountains I watched and photographed a Chipping Sparrow that was busy collecting nesting materials.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chipping Sparrow collecting nesting materials, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4107.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4107.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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in a Wasatch Mountain Canyon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"For several weeks I repeatedly saw and heard a Vesper Sparrow in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains and early in July I was able to take some decent images of it as it sang on a metal post.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vesper Sparrow singing in the Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Vesper Sparrow perched on a small rock, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Wind","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Just seconds after I took this photo I think the Song Sparrow decided it had had enough of the wind because it took off and left the bouncy serviceberry perch.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow singing in a wind, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-in-wind-singing-mia-mcpherson-4282.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-in-wind-singing-mia-mcpherson-4282.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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