When you first see an American Tree Sparrow you might think it is a Chipping Sparrow - a common Nova Scotia species. Like the Chipping Sparrow, the American Tree Sparrow has an unstreaked chest and distinctive rusty coloured cap. To positively separate the two, check to see if the bird has a large dark dot in the middle of its chest or lacks a dot. Chipping Sparrows do not show any spot while the American Tree Sparrow does - especially if the bird is facing you.

During the winter months, the bird in question will most likely be an American Tree Sparrow as Chipping Sparrow sightings are extremely rare at that time of the year. The American Tree Sparrow is only present in Nova Scotia in winter, during the rest of the year it lives in the Arctic.

Its name stems from the fact that it breeds along the edge of the tundra in areas with scattered trees and brush. Among birders in Nova Scotia, verbally the American Tree Sparrow is most often referred to as the "Tree Sparrow." However, in written literature the name American Tree Sparrow, its official name, is most frequently used to avoid confusion with the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is an Old World species that was introduced to North America and is locally abundant in two mid-western states. Unlike some sparrows which are solitary in winter, American Tree Sparrows travel in flocks.

They most frequently visit yards that border brushy fields, especially if a feeder is present. They can also be spotted busily feeding in roadside alder bushes, and occassionally in the catkins of willows and birches. Like the Black-Capped Chickadee, a high degree of order is maintained in feeding flocks by a social hierarchy, a hierarchy which is dominated by the most powerful males. Perhaps this is part of the reason that females often winter further south than male Tree Sparrows.

Most American Tree Sparrows start to leave Nova Scotia in late March and early April. Fortunately for us they begin to practise their breeding song in early March. If you encounter a flock of these birds in March, be sure and listen for their song. It may be sung softly, but is well worth hearing as it is composed of many sweet and musical notes.