Perch Supply
Diet

What do chipping sparrows eat?

Seeds most of the year; insects when nesting.

New World sparrows (Passerellidae)Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina

Spring and summer diet

  • Grasshoppers, leafhoppers and caterpillars

Fall and winter diet

  • Grass seeds

Best feeder foods

  • Millet
  • Hulled sunflower chips

Chippers feed on lawns and low platforms and nest in ornamental evergreens near houses.

Which feeder works best for chipping sparrows →

Where chipping sparrows need winter food

Regions where chipping sparrows are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArizonaArkansasFloridaGeorgiaKentuckyLouisianaMississippiNew MexicoNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexas

Frequently asked

What do chipping sparrows eat?

Seeds most of the year; insects when nesting.

What is the best food to feed chipping sparrows?

Millet, Hulled sunflower chips.

What do chipping sparrows eat in winter?

Grass seeds.

Sources

  1. Chipping Sparrow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Chipping Sparrow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Chipping Sparrow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.