Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina · Sparrows
Chipping Sparrow in dogwood
Green-Wood Cemetery, 25 April 2026
A Chipping Sparrow in flowering dogwood at Green-Wood, one of the more reliable markers of exactly this point in a New York spring. It is the sparrow of lawns and open woodland across the continent, back from the southern states to breed in the cemetery's conifers.
A crisp rufous cap, black eyeline and clean grey underparts mark the breeding adult; a plainer, streakier bird carries the same species through winter. The song is a dry trill on one note, like a sewing machine, and it lines its nest with horsehair where it can find any.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.