Common in a variety of habitats from gardens and forest edges to weedy fields. A familiar bird for most of us and often approachable. Sits on posts or bushes as it sings a cheery range of up and down trills. Never flies far, seeming to move slowly and methodically through vegetation or on the ground, often giving its ‘chimp’ note. On migration, will form groups with other sparrows. It is then that you can see great variation within the many populations. ID: A long, large sparrow. Not so pot-bellied as some, the chest seems to melt into the neck. All plumages heavily streaked, usually a brown matched by the upperpart color. The lateral cheek patch and central breast spot stand out. Head is rounded and quite small, an array of lines, the gray supercilium the one that stands out. Often appears brown-capped. Upperparts have broader and more diffuse streaks than similar sparrows. Wings and tail sometimes more rufous.