The Spizella genus of sparrows, including this Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina are small sparrows with small bills and clean markings. Chipping sparrows are probably the easiest to identify, at least as adults, because of the dark black eyeline the extends through the eye to the base of the bill, along with their reddish cap.
This individual was seen today in Spokane County, WA and appears to be gathering nesting material.
Chipping sparrows prefer relatively open forests or fields with some trees or shrubs. They are also one of our most geographically widespread sparrows, breeding over a large portion of North America, and seen during some season in even more of the continent.
This is a screenshot of their range distribution from Birds of the World.
Chipping Sparrows usually produce two clutches of 2-7 eggs annually, sometimes producing a third clutch.
Like most seed-eating birds, Chipping sparrows also consume a large quantity of invertebrates, mostly insects, during the breeding season. The rest of the year they primarily eat seeds and other plant matter.
Chipping sparrows are a really cute and lovely sparrow.
Good birding.
