Scientific Name:
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Description
Slightly larger than the song-sparrow, the white-crowned sparrow adult bird is about 6 inches long, has a distinctive black and white head stripe, orangey bill and plain gray breast. Juveniles have duller head stripes.
Behaviors
You are bound to see them hopping around on the ground, close to scrubby bushes that serve as as a quick escape route. They eat seeds from weeds and grasses, supplemented by insects during summer and fruits/berries in fall. They eat the poison oak seeds at Point Lobos.
Fun Facts
These birds are athletes! They can fly hundreds of miles in a single night, reaching a final destination 2,500 miles away.
Photo by Don Blohowiak
White-crowned Sparrow relies on
Sun
Water
Nutrients