Chipping Sparrow in Cobbs Creek Park

In Albums: birds Philadelphia

May 2nd, 2011, by Alex Zorach

This picture shows the distinctive breeding plumage markings of the chipping sparrow: red crown, bold white supercilium, and a bold black stripe through the eye, and a plain gray breast) but also captures something about habitat.

I saw this sparrow in a small flock of chipping sparrows; although the sparrows do breed in this area, there were so many at once that I think part of this group was just migrating through.

I photographed this chipping sparrow in Cobbs Creek Park, near the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center in West Philadelphia. This is one of many good spots for birding in Philadelphia.