American Tree Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow

The winter plumages of Chipping Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows look very similar. The ranges of these species typically overlap only during migration, but Chipping Sparrows seem to be increasingly found north of their traditional winter range. The usually reliable distinguishing mark–a breast spot on the tree sparrow where there is none on the Chipping Sparrow–can be deceptively unreliable.