Chipping Sparrows in Ontario
When chipping sparrows are present in Ontario, when they nest, which native Ontario plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canadian zones 0a–7a yard.
- Status in Ontario
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)
When to expect chipping sparrows in Ontario
Chipping Sparrows are summer residents in Ontario, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on grasshoppers, leafhoppers and caterpillars.
Humid continental in the south, boreal and subarctic in the north; most backyard birding happens in the southern Great Lakes lowlands.
Nesting in Ontario
Across Ontario, chipping sparrows typically nest from May–July. Nest site: loose cup lined with hair, 3–10 ft up in conifers or shrubs. Females lay 2–7 eggs, incubate for 10–15 days, and young leave the nest after 9–12 days.
Short, warm summers; Point Pelee and Long Point are continent-famous migration sites.
- Chipping Sparrows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as sugar maple, paper birch for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Ontario plants that attract chipping sparrows
Of the regional native plants we track for Ontario, these 8 provide food or cover chipping sparrows use:
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Feeding chipping sparrows through the Ontario year
Chippers feed on lawns and low platforms and nest in ornamental evergreens near houses.
- Best foods: Millet, Hulled sunflower chips.
- In Ontario's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Full diet breakdown for chipping sparrows · Best feeder for chipping sparrows
Frequently asked
Are chipping sparrows in Ontario year-round?
No. Chipping Sparrows are summer breeders in Ontario and leave for the winter.
When do chipping sparrows nest in Ontario?
Nesting in Ontario typically runs May–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–7 eggs, incubated for 10–15 days.
What native plants attract chipping sparrows in Ontario?
Sugar maple, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, New England aster, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch are native plants in Ontario that provide food or cover for chipping sparrows.
Chipping Sparrows in other regions
Other backyard birds in Ontario
Sources
- Chipping Sparrow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chipping Sparrow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chipping Sparrow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.