West · Central Flyway
Sparrows in Colorado
Sparrows in Colorado come down to 25 species with regular eBird records, led by the Song Sparrow. Together they account for 987,089 of the 16 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.1% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow and Baird'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 Colorado: 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. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) — 234,410 records, 1.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) — 182,145 records, 1.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) — 164,205 records, 1.0% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
4. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) — 108,776 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in September.
5. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) — 53,298 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in September.
6. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) — 52,936 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in August.
7. Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) — 40,943 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in July.
8. American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) — 32,686 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in November.
9. Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) — 24,777 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in September.
10. Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) — 20,608 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in August.
11. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) — 18,799 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in September.
12. Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) — 12,955 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and September with a peak in September.
The remaining 13 species — Grasshopper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow and Baird's Sparrow — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see sparrows in Colorado
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, sparrows are most prominent in October, September and May and least in March and April. 3 of the 25 species are year-round — Song Sparrow, House Sparrow and Rufous-crowned Sparrow — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Chipping Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak September); Vesper Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak September); Lark Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak August); Lincoln's Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak July); Brewer's Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak September); Lark Bunting arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak August).
Winter visitors. White-crowned Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak October); American Tree Sparrow arrives around November and leaves after March (peak November); White-throated Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after January (peak October); Harris's Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak January); Swamp Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after February (peak January); Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives around November and leaves after February (peak January).
Passage migrants. Clay-colored Sparrow is reported mainly in May and September; Sagebrush Sparrow is reported mainly in March and April; Field Sparrow is reported mainly in May and October; Nelson's Sparrow is reported mainly in September; Baird's Sparrow is reported mainly in July and August.
Attracting sparrows to Colorado 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 Colorado the sparrow most likely to turn up is the Song Sparrow, a year-round resident, followed by the House Sparrow. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Sparrows in Colorado: FAQ
How many species of sparrows are there in Colorado?
25 species of sparrows have regular eBird records in Colorado (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow and Baird's Sparrow.
What is the most common sparrow in Colorado?
The Song Sparrow, with 234,410 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the House Sparrow with 182,145. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see sparrows in Colorado?
October, September and May, when the combined share of Colorado eBird records belonging to sparrows is highest. Summer visitors such as the Chipping Sparrow arrive around May. Winter visitors such as the White-crowned Sparrow arrive around September.
More birds in Colorado
Sparrows in other states
Sparrows in Colorado: 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: Colorado 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.