This handsome fellow appeared under my finch feeder this week. It’s a White-crowned Sparrow, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen one. I keep a list of bird species that visit my yard, and I’m excited to add a new bird to that list for the first time in several years.
White-crowned Sparrows are one of the most studied songbirds in North America. They are very similar to White-throated Sparrows, (they often flock together), but they don’t have the yellow marks above their eyes or the distinguishing white “beard.” When feeding with other birds, they are easy to spot because they like to stand tall and raise their white-striped crowns. There are 5 subspecies of White-crowned Sparrows, and some of them actually sing at night!
This one was just passing through the neighborhood and was gone by the next day. I’m glad I happened to be looking out the window when he stopped in for a visit.