Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
Flight call description A distinctly upward-arched "tsuis". Sometimes a more monotone "tsees".
Fig.1. Virginia September 19, 1993 (MO).
Bird in flight.
Similar species Usually distinctive. Longer, higher, and more evenly upward-arched than American Redstart. Shorter and more deeply upward-arched than Fox Sparrow. More monotone calls similar to some variations of Field Sparrow. Shorter calls similar to American Tree Sparrow.
Behavior Primarily a nocturnal migrant but engages in redetermined migration. Gives flight call regularly while perched and in flight during the day and during nocturnal migration.
Spectrographic description Measured calls (N=12) were 70.7-150.7 (95.7) mS in duration and in the 6.1-11.2 (6.8-10.1) kHz frequency range. The frequency track was single-banded or with a light second band and was deeply upward-arched. Some variations were more shallowly upward-arched. There were occasionally some irregular modulations at the end of the call.