White-crowned Sparrow

With their slender build and long tails, White-crowned Sparrows are dapper birds! They winter across much of the Lower 48 and into Mexico, and can be found in the Portland area year-round

by John Rakestraw

With their slender build and long tails, White-crowned Sparrows are dapper birds. Adults are easily recognized by the series of bold black and white stripes on the crown. The face and breast are pale gray. Bill color ranges from yellow to orange. The back is buffy brown with dark streaks. Juveniles are similar to adults, but show brown and buffy stripes on the head instead of black and white. Young White-crowns resemble Golden-crowned Sparrows, but Golden-crowns have finely streaked crowns, not the bold “bike helmet” look of the White-crowned, and usually show at least some yellow on the forehead.

White-crowned Sparrows breed across Alaska and northern Canada, with the range extending south through the mountains of the western U.S. and along the West Coast. They winter across much of the Lower 48 and into Mexico, and can be found in the Portland area year-round.

Nests are constructed on or near the ground in brushy areas with low trees. The cup nest holds and average of four eggs. The female tends the young for the first few days. As the young birds mature, the male takes over the feeding while the female begins building the nest for the second (or sometimes third) brood. Locally, White-crowned Sparrows frequently nest in parking lots with islands of shrubbery.

In winter, White-crowned Sparrows are found in open brushy areas, where they form flocks with other sparrow species. They eat a variety of insects, seeds, fruit, and leaves, and will come to platform feeders offering black oil sunflower or millet. They are more typically found in rural areas in winter, but are often seen in town during spring and fall migration periods.