I have written about the Winter of Bluebirds, Winter of Barred Owls, Winter of Snowy Owls and the Winter of a few other species. They are just fun columns about a species that seems especially prevalent during a certain winter.

I have yet to write about a bird that dominates any other season. Until now. I present to you the Summer of the Chipping Sparrow. I have seen more chipping sparrows this summer than I can remember in any past summer. They are not only plentiful but ubiquitous. They are at my home and work. I visited my brother in Erie, Pennsylvania, and chipping sparrows were everywhere. I visited friends in Pittsburgh and, you guessed it, chipping sparrows aplenty.

It’s not that chipping sparrows are rare in other summers, but in my very unscientific observances, they are particularly plentiful this summer. That’s a good thing, of course. Chipping sparrows are a native species, and they can brighten up a day with their trilling song.

The best thing about seeing them at this point in the summer is that the sightings include several first-year birds and that bodes well for the future of the species. While many bird species are struggling to survive and seeing noted decreases in their population, chipping sparrows appear to be doing fine.

I wouldn’t make such a statement based strictly on my observations, of course. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website lists the chipping sparrow as a species of low concern. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates the global breeding population of chipping sparrows to be about 240 million.

Chipping sparrows are one of the smaller birds we see in New England. Hummingbirds, of course, are the smallest at three or four inches long. Ruby-crowned kinglets are not much larger at just over four inches. Chipping sparrows are just over five inches long and about half an ounce. Compare that to a house sparrow, which is typically a bit over six inches long.

Chipping sparrows have distinctive reddish-brown caps, white lines above their eyes, black eye stripes  and chestnut-colored back that contrasts with its grayish neck and underparts. The breed throughout most of North America and may be found in open woodlands, shrubby areas and gardens. I often see them foraging on the ground underneath trees in city parks. I also see them daily on the ground at work, foraging under the tall evergreens.

Their small size and subdued colors can sometimes be a source of frustration for birdwatchers. There have been several times I have heard their trill coming from seemingly right above me, but I’ve struggled to find them. The song sounds as if it is coming from mere feet away from where I am standing, yet I can’t find the little bugger. If the bird keeps singing, I can usually eventually find it and then feel silly for how long it took me to spot a bird so close.

During the spring, birdwatchers should be careful not to assume a trilling song is a chipping sparrow. Pine warblers and dark-eyed juncos have similar high-pitched trilling songs. If heard in the summer, it’s a safer bet to be a chipping sparrow. Pine warblers and juncos nest in New England, but chipping sparrows are more likely to sing in the summer.

I hope the Summer of the Chipping Sparrow continues. They typically have two broods each year so they will be raising young for several more weeks. Chipping sparrows may be small and unassuming, but they are also endearing and a vital part of the New England birdscape.