5.5 inches long. The Chipping Sparrow is a small sparrow with a dark conical bill and a rusty crown. The back is tan with dark streaks. The wings are brown with wing bars. The unstreaked rump is gray. The tail is slim and forked. The underparts are pale. The gray head has a black eyeline and white eyebrow. Non-breeding birds have a different head pattern. The crown is brown with fine dark streaks and a pale central stripe. The eyebrow is buff and the cheeks are brownish. The bill becomes pale with a dark tip. At this time of the year it becomes somewhat difficult to separate the Chipping Sparrow from a Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida). Immature birds have streaked undersides and crown.
The Chipping Sparrow is a common breeder arriving in mid March and departing by late October.
The Chipping Sparrow is common and widely distributed. It is associated with open woodlands, edges of rivers and lakes, and brushy, weedy fields. It is a common summer resident in towns and gardens. It is tame and will sometimes take food from the hand. Its name is derived from its song. Although it is a songbird the song is an unmelodic uniform trill on one pitch.
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