Tech specs
A Chipping Sparrow in winter plumage perches in a field in Sharon Woods Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio.
I’ve photographed a massive number of birds since I decided to try wildlife photography more than two decades ago.
When I first visited a local park to attempt to photograph some birds, my ability to identify a species was limited to cardinals and blue jays. Any brown bird was some sort of sparrow, whether it actually was or not.
Since that day, I’ve spent hours searching various field guides to identify the birds I’ve photographed, and I’ve learned quite a bit. I can identify most bird species on sight. But identifying the various species of sparrows presented the most significant challenge.
There are more than 35 sparrow species commonly found in the United States, with about 20 of those likely to be seen in the eastern part of the country where I photograph. That’s a lot of similar-looking little brown birds hanging around.
This is a photo of a Chipping Sparrow, a variety of sparrow that is relatively easy to identify, at least during the summer months. At that time, Chipping Sparrows have a distinctive rusty crown, a pale face with a black line through the eye, and a white chest. The bird in this photo, which was taken in September a number of years ago, is starting to transition to winter plumage, when the cap is a more subdued reddish brown and the feathers are a darkly streaked brown.
The Chipping Sparrow is among the smaller sparrows, a bit smaller and thinner than a Song Sparrow.