White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
At a Glance
In most parts of the West, the smartly patterned White-crowned Sparrow is very common at one season or another: summering in the mountains and the north, wintering in the southwestern lowlands, present all year along the coast. Winter birds usually live in flocks, rummaging on the ground near brushy thickets, perching in the tops of bushes when a birder approaches too closely. In the East, the White-crowned Sparrow is generally an uncommon migrant or wintering bird. Different populations of White-crowned Sparrows often have local 'dialects' in their songs, and these have been intensively studied by scientists in some regions.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
New World Sparrows, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Coasts and Shorelines, Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains, Tundra and Boreal Habitats, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Rapid Wingbeats
Population
79.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Some populations of the White-crowned Sparrow on the Pacific Coast are permanent residents; those from northern and mountain regions are strongly migratory. Mostly migrates at night. On average, females winter farther south than males.
Description
Sexes similar — Length: 5.9–6.3 in (15–16 cm); wingspan: 8.3–9.4 in (21–24 cm); weight: 0.9–1.0 oz (25–28 g). The White-crowned sparrow is distinguished by a plain pearly-gray breast and neck, a long dark tail, and two white wing bars on brown, streaked wings. Its head features a striking pattern of bold black and white stripes, though bill color varies from pale pink to orange or yellow depending on the subspecies. The immature (first-winter) bird is similar but displays tan and muted brown head stripes rather than black and white. Juveniles are heavily streaked on the breast and belly with a mottled back and a buff-brown head pattern. To distinguish it from the similar White-throated Sparrow, look for this species' distinct crown pattern and its lack of both a white throat patch and yellow lores.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Pink, Tan, White
Wing Shape
Broad
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Short series of clear whistles followed by buzzy notes.
Call Pattern
Falling
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Trill, Whistle
Habitat
Boreal scrub, forest edges, thickets, chaparral, gardens, parks; in winter, also farms and desert washes. The White-crowned Sparrow thrives in varied breeding habitats, but always in brushy places, such as dwarf willow thickets at the edge of tundra, bushy clearings in northern forests, scrub just below the timberline in mountains, chaparral, and well-wooded suburbs along the Pacific Coast. In winter, it is also found in hedgerows, overgrown fields, and desert washes.
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Behavior
Eggs
4-5, sometimes 3, rarely 2-6. Pale greenish or greenish-blue, heavily spotted with reddish brown. Incubation is by female only, 11-14 days, usually 12.
Young
Both parents of the White-crowned Sparrow feed nestlings, although the female may do more at first. Young leave the nest about 7-12 days after hatching, with those in the far north tending to leave earlier than those farther south. The male may care for fledglings while the female begins a second nesting attempt. They produce 1 brood per year in the far north, and 2-3 (or even 4) broods farther south.
Feeding Behavior
Forages mainly while hopping and running on ground, the White-crowned Sparrow sometimes feeds up in low shrubs and occasionally will make short flights to catch insects in mid-air. Except during nesting season, it usually forages in flocks.
Diet
The diet of the White-crowned Sparrow consists mostly of seeds, other vegetable matter, and insects. Apparently, it feeds predominantly on seeds in winter, mainly those of weeds and grasses. At various seasons, it also consumes other vegetable matter, including buds, flowers, moss capsules, willow catkins, berries, and small fruits. Additionally, the White-crowned Sparrow eats many insects and spiders, especially during summer. Young sparrows are fed mostly insects.
Nesting
In White-crowned Sparrow southernmost coastal populations, pairs may remain together all year on permanent territories. Elsewhere, males arrive on nesting grounds before females, defend territories by singing. Nest: In the North, the site is usually on the ground at the base of a shrub or grass clump, often placed in a shallow depression in the ground; along the West Coast, nests are often placed a few feet up in shrubs. The nest, built by the female, is an open cup made of grass, twigs, weeds, rootlets, strips of bark, and lined with fine grass, feathers, and animal hair.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Widespread and common, the White-crowned Sparrow is frequently seen in many regions.
Climate Threats Facing the White-crowned Sparrow
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
