South · Mississippi Flyway
Sparrows in Tennessee
Sparrows in Tennessee come down to 20 species with regular eBird records, led by the Song Sparrow. Together they account for 540,106 of the 8.7 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.2% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, House Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Le Conte's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Lark Bunting. 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 Tennessee: 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) — 147,743 records, 1.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) — 114,532 records, 1.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in December.
3. Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) — 76,700 records, 0.9% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) — 72,472 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to November and peaking in April.
5. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) — 53,947 records, 0.6% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) — 29,453 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
7. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) — 16,259 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
8. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) — 12,736 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in November.
9. Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) — 7,621 records, 0.09% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in December.
10. Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) — 2,524 records, 0.03% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in October with a peak in October.
11. Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) — 2,004 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to August and peaking in May.
12. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) — 1,853 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in March, October and November with a peak in November.
The remaining 8 species — Le Conte's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Lark Bunting — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see sparrows in Tennessee
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, sparrows are most prominent in November, December and January and least in September and August. 3 of the 20 species are year-round — Song Sparrow, Field Sparrow and House Sparrow — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Chipping Sparrow arrives around March and is mostly gone after November (peak April); Grasshopper Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after August (peak May); Lark Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after August (peak July); Henslow's Sparrow arrives around April and is mostly gone after October (peak June).
Winter visitors. White-throated Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak December); Swamp Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); Savannah Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); White-crowned Sparrow arrives around October and leaves after April (peak November); Fox Sparrow arrives around November and leaves after March (peak December); American Tree Sparrow arrives around December and leaves after February (peak February).
Passage migrants. Lincoln's Sparrow is reported mainly in October; Vesper Sparrow is reported mainly in March, October and November; Le Conte's Sparrow is reported mainly in October, November and December; Nelson's Sparrow is reported mainly in October; Clay-colored Sparrow is reported mainly in October; Harris's Sparrow is reported mainly in January and March.
Attracting sparrows to Tennessee 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 Tennessee the sparrow most likely to turn up is the Song Sparrow, a year-round resident, followed by the Field Sparrow. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Sparrows in Tennessee: FAQ
How many species of sparrows are there in Tennessee?
20 species of sparrows have regular eBird records in Tennessee (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, House Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Le Conte's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow and Lark Bunting.
What is the most common sparrow in Tennessee?
The Song Sparrow, with 147,743 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the White-throated Sparrow with 114,532. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see sparrows in Tennessee?
November, December and January, when the combined share of Tennessee eBird records belonging to sparrows is highest. Summer visitors such as the Chipping Sparrow arrive around March. Winter visitors such as the White-throated Sparrow arrive around October.
More birds in Tennessee
Sparrows in other states
Sparrows in Tennessee: 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: Tennessee 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.