West · Pacific Flyway
Sparrows in Arizona
Sparrows in Arizona come down to 28 species with regular eBird records, led by the White-crowned Sparrow. Together they account for 1,401,244 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.9% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: White-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Botteri's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Five-striped Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Baird's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow. Sparrows are the streaky brown birds that spend most of their time on or near the ground. The group mixes year-round residents, winter visitors from the north, and one introduced species — the House Sparrow — that lives almost entirely around people.
Sparrows in Arizona: every species, most-reported first
Every sparrow with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) — 293,164 records, 1.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
2. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) — 250,268 records, 1.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) — 162,068 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) — 144,822 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) — 104,695 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) — 82,079 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
7. Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) — 77,582 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
8. Rufous-winged Sparrow (Peucaea carpalis) — 66,394 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
9. Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) — 51,482 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in September.
10. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) — 37,589 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to March and peaking in October.
11. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) — 34,021 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to March and peaking in October.
12. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) — 32,975 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
The remaining 16 species — Lark Bunting, Botteri's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Five-striped Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Baird's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see sparrows in Arizona
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, sparrows are most prominent in October, December and November and least in June and July. 8 of the 28 species are year-round — House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow and Rufous-winged Sparrow and 2 more — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Botteri's Sparrow arrives around June and is mostly gone after August (peak August); Five-striped Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after August (peak August).
Winter visitors. White-crowned Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); Lincoln's Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak October); Brewer's Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak September); Vesper Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after March (peak October); Savannah Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after March (peak October); Lark Bunting arrives around August and leaves after February (peak August).
Passage migrants. Cassin's Sparrow is reported mainly in July and August; Clay-colored Sparrow is reported mainly in January, February, September and October.
Attracting sparrows to Arizona backyards
Sparrows feed on the ground, so scatter millet or cracked corn under a feeder or on a low platform rather than in a hanging tube. Brush piles and unmown corners give them the cover they need to stay.
In Arizona the sparrow most likely to turn up is the White-crowned Sparrow. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Sparrows in Arizona: FAQ
How many species of sparrows are there in Arizona?
28 species of sparrows have regular eBird records in Arizona (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): White-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Botteri's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Five-striped Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Baird's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow.
What is the most common sparrow in Arizona?
The White-crowned Sparrow, with 293,164 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the House Sparrow with 250,268. It is a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
When is the best time to see sparrows in Arizona?
October, December and November, when the combined share of Arizona eBird records belonging to sparrows is highest. Summer visitors such as the Botteri's Sparrow arrive around June. Winter visitors such as the White-crowned Sparrow arrive around October.
More birds in Arizona
Sparrows in other states
Sparrows in Arizona: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Arizona records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Passerellidae and Passeridae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.