Harris's Sparrow
Zonotrichia querula
Also known as: Harris' Sparrow
About This Species
A large sparrow of scrub, hedgerows and woodland edges, often seen feeding on the ground beneath feeders or scratching through leaf litter in winter alongside other sparrows. Its bold black crown and bib against a pale face make it easy to pick out. Winter feeding stations across the central United States offer the most dependable sightings.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A few metres from a garden feeder is generally fine, since it habituates readily to backyard feeding stations.
- It is protected as a migratory bird under law in the United States and Canada, so avoid disturbing breeding habitat in its more remote Canadian breeding range.
NTAvesPasseriformesPasserellidae
Seasonal Activity
300,789 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.