The Chipping sparrow is a small and slender sparrow that has a distinctive sharp ‘chip’ note and a simple, trilling song. Breeding adults display a chestnut crown, a black eye-stripe, and crisp white eyebrow. After nesting season, both male and female lose their distinctive bright cap for a streaky dull brown head pattern that is similar to other winter sparrows.
Chipping Sparrows are found across Oregon in all ecoregions except for the Nearshore. The population in the Willamette Valley is of particular concern due to population trends associated with habitat loss and conversion.
Chipping Sparrows are typically found in open forests and drier woodland edges. They prefer areas with sparse, herbaceous understories for foraging.
Limiting factors
Loss and degradation of habitat are key limiting factors for Chipping Sparrows in the Willamette Valley. Loss of oak woodlands due to development, fire suppression, and invasive plant encroachment is of particular concern. Known nest predators include a variety of snakes, American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and domestic cats (Felis catus).
Data gaps
• Evaluate the effects of cowbird parasitism on breeding success.
• Investigate the effects of feral cats in residential nesting areas.
• Examine management practices in agricultural areas (e.g., orchards) and their effects on this species.
Conservation actions
• Maintain areas of open, herbaceous native plant understory in oak woodlands.
• Control invasive plants that impact habitat quality and suitability for Chipping Sparrow.
Key reference or plan
Land Manager’s Guide to Bird Habitat and Populations in Oak Ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. Read here
