West · Pacific Flyway
Sparrows in California
Sparrows in California come down to 27 species with regular eBird records, led by the White-crowned Sparrow. Together they account for 3,973,706 of the 62 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.4% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Nelson's Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Le Conte's 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 California: 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) — 1,089,117 records, 1.7% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
2. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) — 1,037,499 records, 1.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) — 463,375 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) — 446,998 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in December.
5. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) — 271,283 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) — 156,560 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
7. Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) — 150,929 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from June to June and peaking in December.
8. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) — 88,228 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
9. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) — 75,286 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
10. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) — 42,395 records, 0.07% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
11. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) — 35,486 records, 0.06% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in December.
12. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) — 25,223 records, 0.04% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
The remaining 15 species — Brewer's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Nelson's Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Le Conte's Sparrow — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see sparrows in California
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, sparrows are most prominent in October, December and November and least in August and July. 9 of the 27 species are year-round — Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and Rufous-crowned Sparrow and 3 more — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Brewer's Sparrow arrives around March and is mostly gone after September (peak June); Grasshopper Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after July (peak June); Sagebrush Sparrow arrives around June and is mostly gone after September (peak June).
Winter visitors. White-crowned Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak October); Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak December); Lincoln's Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak October); Fox Sparrow arrives around June and leaves after June (peak December); White-throated Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak December); Swamp Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after February (peak November).
Passage migrants. Black-chinned Sparrow is reported mainly in April, May and June; Clay-colored Sparrow is reported mainly in September and October; Harris's Sparrow is reported mainly in January, February, March and November; Lark Bunting is reported mainly in February, March, September and October; Cassin's Sparrow is reported mainly in March and December; Le Conte's Sparrow is reported mainly in April and November.
Attracting sparrows to California 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 California 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 California: FAQ
How many species of sparrows are there in California?
27 species of sparrows have regular eBird records in California (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Nelson's Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Le Conte's Sparrow.
What is the most common sparrow in California?
The White-crowned Sparrow, with 1,089,117 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Song Sparrow with 1,037,499. It is a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
When is the best time to see sparrows in California?
October, December and November, when the combined share of California eBird records belonging to sparrows is highest. Summer visitors such as the Brewer's Sparrow arrive around March. Winter visitors such as the White-crowned Sparrow arrive around September.
More birds in California
Sparrows in other states
Sparrows in California: 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: California 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.