West · Pacific Flyway
Sparrows in Oregon
Sparrows in Oregon come down to 21 species with regular eBird records, led by the Song Sparrow. Together they account for 1,243,302 of the 17 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 7.4% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Cassin'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 Oregon: 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) — 477,041 records, 2.8% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) — 202,215 records, 1.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) — 174,167 records, 1.0% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in December.
4. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) — 136,868 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) — 69,443 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in December.
6. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) — 63,139 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to November and peaking in September.
7. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) — 35,942 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to August and peaking in June.
8. Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) — 30,775 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in April.
9. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) — 20,936 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
10. Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) — 8,865 records, 0.05% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to August and peaking in June.
11. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) — 8,543 records, 0.05% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in June.
12. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) — 6,697 records, 0.04% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to August and peaking in May.
The remaining 9 species — Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Cassin's Sparrow — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see sparrows in Oregon
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, sparrows are most prominent in December, January and November and least in August and May. 3 of the 21 species are year-round — Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow and House Sparrow — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Savannah Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after November (peak September); Chipping Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after August (peak June); Brewer's Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after August (peak June); Vesper Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak June); Lark Sparrow arrives around May and is mostly gone after August (peak May); Sagebrush Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak June).
Winter visitors. Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak December); Fox Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after March (peak December); Lincoln's Sparrow arrives around September and leaves after April (peak April); White-throated Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); Harris's Sparrow arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Swamp Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after January (peak December).
Passage migrants. Black-throated Sparrow is reported mainly in May and June; Cassin's Sparrow is reported mainly in October.
Attracting sparrows to Oregon 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 Oregon the sparrow most likely to turn up is the Song Sparrow, a year-round resident, followed by the White-crowned Sparrow. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Sparrows in Oregon: FAQ
How many species of sparrows are there in Oregon?
21 species of sparrows have regular eBird records in Oregon (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Cassin's Sparrow.
What is the most common sparrow in Oregon?
The Song Sparrow, with 477,041 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the White-crowned Sparrow with 202,215. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see sparrows in Oregon?
December, January and November, when the combined share of Oregon eBird records belonging to sparrows is highest. Summer visitors such as the Savannah Sparrow arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Golden-crowned Sparrow arrive around October.
More birds in Oregon
Sparrows in other states
Sparrows in Oregon: 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: Oregon 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.