I'm not an expert on bird i.d. but it looks like an immature chipping sparrow to me.

Looks like a Chipping Sparrow to me, you can see the black eye stripe with white above and the rusty cap, unless with the poor quality of the pic it doesn't have a rusty cap but it looks like an adult in its summer plumage.

Donna

Do you remember if it has a spot on the breast. If it does, it's an American tree sparrow. They look kinda of alike.

Chipping:
gray rump, pink bill and is year-round in Georgia

American Tree:
bicolored bill, rufous eyeline and barely reaches Georgia ever

American Tree Sparrows do not have the black eye stripe like this Chipping Sparrow does.

Donna

I looked through Peterson's book and I didn't see any other sparrows that have a black eye stripe.

Here's a pic of the bird from the back. I think it's a chipping sparrow, I just never saw one with so much grey. Is that the correct color description, eg, rufous=reddish brown?

Thanks to all. Linda...NW Georgia

Here is a link that might be useful: back of bird

Chipping Sparrow in winter to spring transition plumage. The black eye line plus the reddish cap nails this bird every time. I love having these little guys nesting in my spruce tree every year. Love their cool song..They sound like a little telephone ringing...Mike

Thanks to all! We always have a lot of chipping sparrows so it makes sense.

I think I need a better 'bird book.' Peterson often doesn't show many of the variations for a bird. Actually the Nat'l Geographic Soc. book showed more variations of the chippie. Nowhere did I find one, though, with that much gray. Individual variation I'm sure.

Linda...NW Georgia

Peterson's Advanced Guide to Birding by Kaufman has an excellent section on sparrows.

-O-