From The Archives: Feathered Friday - The white-crowned sparrow

by Rachel Ames

This week’s featured bird is the White-crowned Sparrow. These versatile birds are well adapted to the cold and have an extensive thermo-regulation system that allows them to thrive high in the alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains as well as in the northern latitudes of Canada and Alaska. The range of the White-crowned Sparrow encompasses most of the US and Canada but there are actually 4 distinct subspecies that all look and sound a little different. Western Colorado is the summer home to the “oriantha” subspecies and it winters in the southwest US and northern Mexico. It generally has a pink bill and black lores (the area between the bill and the eye). White-crowned Sparrows eat mostly insects in the summer but quickly switch to seeds and other plant matter when insects can’t be found. They prefer areas with ample grass and thick shrubs near water. Males can sing year-round although they sing more often during the breeding season. To listen to their distinctive song, visit: https://www.nps.gov/.../sounds-whitecrownedsparrow.htm

Adult White-crowned Sparrow.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow.