White-Crowned Sparrow Bathing
by J McCombie
Title
White-Crowned Sparrow Bathing
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
A small White-crowned Sparrow enjoys his time alone in the birdbath.
The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America. There are five currently recognized subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis, gambelii, nuttalli, oriantha, and leucophrys), varying in breeding distribution migratory route. Birds of the subspecies nutalli are permanent residents in California, while birds of the subspecies gambelli may migrate as far as the Arctic Circle during the summer breeding season. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States.
White-crowned Sparrows appear each winter over much of North America to grace our gardens and favorite trails (they live in parts of the West year-round). The smart black-and-white head, pale beak, and crisp gray breast combine for a dashing look – and make it one of the surest sparrow identifications in North America. Look for White-crowned Sparrows in places where safe tangles of brush mix with open or grassy ground for foraging. Watch for flocks of these sparrows scurrying through brushy borders and overgrown fields, or coax them into the open with backyard feeders. Learn this bird's size and shape so you're ready to identify young birds that have brown, not black, markings on the head. White-crowned Sparrows lay 3–5 brown-marked grey or greenish-blue eggs. As spring approaches, listen out for this bird’s thin, sweet whistle.
The White-crowned Sparrow is a large sparrow with a small bill and a long tail. Adults are 18 cm (7 in) long and have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow. They are similar in appearance to the White-throated Sparrow but do not have the white throat markings. The head can look distinctly peaked or smooth and flat, depending on the bird’s attitude.
For much of the United States, White-crowned Sparrows are most likely in winter (although two races live year round in the West, along the coast and in the mountains). The White-crowned Sparrow is known for its natural alertness mechanism, which allows it to stay awake for up to two weeks during migration. This effect has been studied for possible human applications, such as shift-work drowsiness or truck driving.
Up here, these sparrows show up in early spring, disappear in summer and return in late fall on their way through to more temperate climes.
Uploaded
April 29th, 2017
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