An abundant and widespread species, the American Tree Sparrow breeds in shrubby habitats at and beyond the treeline. Continental results from the Christmas Bird Count suggest the population has decreased since 1970. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Abundant and widespread, the American Tree Sparrow breeds mostly north of the tree line in remote and undeveloped areas (Naugler et al. 2017). Due to the remote nature of its breeding areas, this species is unlikely to be directly affected by humans during the breeding season. However, widespread land-use change in its wintering range involving agricultural intensification and forest maturation has likely led to habitat loss for wintering birds (Naugler et al. 2017). The species may benefit from winter bird feeders, although this may also make them susceptible to predation by domestic cats (Naugler et al. 2017; see also Blancher 2013).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.