Species
White-crowned sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
A crisp, black-and-white-crowned sparrow of northern thickets that winters in small numbers in Georgia.
Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 15 to 16 cm long
- Weight
- About 25 to 28 g
- Habitat
- Shrubby edges and weedy fields in winter
- Diet
- Seeds and insects
- In Georgia
- An uncommon winter visitor
- Voice
- A clear whistled song
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Bold black-and-white striped crown; pink or orange bill; grey breast
- Young
- Brown-and-buff crown stripes
- Told apart from
- White-throated sparrow, which has a white throat and yellow in front of the eye
- Where to look
- Brushy fields and hedgerows in winter
Behaviour
White-crowned sparrows feed in small flocks on the ground near shrubs.
Why they matter
White-crowned sparrows are among the most studied songbirds; research on how they learn songs has taught much about how young birds acquire language.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A cup on or near the ground
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 11 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Brushy field edges and hedgerows support them in winter.
Misconceptions
- Sparrows are born knowing their songs. Young white-crowned sparrows learn by listening to adults.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Wintering | Wintering | Leaving | Migrating north | Nesting in the north | Nesting | Chicks | Present in the north | Migrating | Arriving | Wintering | Wintering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 70 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Alaskabreeding
- Arizonain winter
- Arkansasin winter
- Californiain winter
- Colorado
- Connecticutin winter
- Delawarein winter
- Georgiain winter
- Idahoin winter
- Illinoisin winter
- Indianain winter
- Iowain winter
- Kansasin winter
- Kentuckyin winter
- Louisianain winter
- Mainepassing through
- Marylandin winter
- Massachusettsin winter
- Michiganin winter
- Minnesotain winter
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouriin winter
- Montanabreeding
- Nebraskain winter
- Nevadain winter
- New Hampshirein winter
- New Jerseyin winter
- New Mexicoin winter
- New Yorkin winter
- North Carolinain winter
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohioin winter
- Oklahomain winter
- Oregon
- Pennsylvaniain winter
- Rhode Islandin winter
- South Dakotain winter
- Tennesseein winter
- Texasin winter
- Utahin winter
- Vermontpassing through
- Virginiain winter
- Washington
- West Virginiain winter
- Wisconsinin winter
- Wyomingbreeding
Canada
If you found one
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