Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-chinned Sparrow
Spizella atrogularis
Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 11.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passerellidae New World Sparrows
- Genus Spizella
- Species atrogularis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.3 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-chinned Sparrow is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Black-chinned Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) is a member of the Passerellidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA and Mexico.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.3 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 6.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 805,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-chinned Sparrow?
The Black-chinned Sparrow is a very small bird that weighs around 11.3 g.
Where does the Black-chinned Sparrow live?
The Black-chinned Sparrow is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA and Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-chinned Sparrow belong to?
The Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-chinned Sparrow eat?
The Black-chinned Sparrow is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black-chinned Sparrow migrate?
The Black-chinned Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-chinned Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-chinned Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Black-chinned Sparrow — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-chinned Sparrow's range?
The Black-chinned Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 805,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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