Garden

[Harpa]

When you say he eats with you, is he eating at a feeder or on the ground? That will often pinpoint what type of bird it is.

Sparrows flit around in branches, but never go to feeders. Cardinals do.

[Bird mama]

Actually sparrows will go to feeders.

[NickNack]

Sparrows will definitely go to feeders.

[shill718]

Definitely not a cedar waxwing or tufted titmouse. What area of the country do you live in? Looks like a member of the thrush family, maybe a hermit thrush.

[JustJazzmom]

Sparrows go to feeders and eat off the ground too.

I love the dark eyed juncos -- dark charcoal gray with white breasts and orangey beaks.

They migrate from Canada to Long Island and back again in the warmer months to Canada.

[ChynnaBlue]

Any chance you could take and post a picture of the bird? That would really help you get a match.

[NeNe1010]

Brown Thrasher maybe?

[nomar]

Thanks for all the suggested possibilities. No, not a Thrasher. We have a pair of them nest every summer. He is smaller than that, but the deep dark rust color is right. He scoots around the ground and kicks up his feet like a Junco does and only eats from the ground. I cannot get a pic because he seems so timid and flys away if we even look out the window at him for a minute. I am in Mid Missouri and he comes every winter during the really cold weather. I have been on that wonderful site of What a bird. Looked under brown birds and small birds. No luck yet. Will get on the All about birds site next. Thanks for those web sites. Maybe he IS a fox sparrow with a bad hair-do. But it is always standing up on top (like a crest) and he has a ruffled appearance to his dark reddish brown bib at his neck and upper chest. I am obsessed with finding his breed. Maybe is is just an odd bird of his breed is why he is always alone.

[maximillian]

Could it be the female cardinal? She is not nearly as bright as the male. It would explain the tuft on the head and the size sounds about right.

[JustJazzmom]

Fox sparrows have longer narrower tails than regular house sparrows.