White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Summary 7
The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America.
Distribution 8
Zonotrichia leucophrys is most known for its widespread distribution, which extends mostly from the upper parts of Alaska, down to the middle of Mexico along the west coast of North America. The white-crowned sparrow, however, also breeds all along the upper parts of Canada and winters along the width of the southern United States (Chilton et al. 1995). Their wide distribution may have to do with the various subspecies of Zonotrichia leucophrys. Some of the subspecies are year-round residents, such as Z. l. nuttalli, while others migrate short distances, and still others migrate thousands of kilometers south every year.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Morphology 9
This particular species of bird is very easy to recognize because of its fairly limited variation of plumage. Both males and females have two distinctive black stripes that extend along the crown of the head and behind the eyes, which boldly outlines the solid white feathers on its head. The white-crowned sparrow has a solid light gray breast and dark brown flight feathers. The coverts are each tipped with a white band. Though juveniles have very similar plumage, they tend to be more brown (instead of gray) and the head has brown, not black, stripes that surround a slightly darker "white" patch. There is no seasonal variation in Zoneotrichia leucophrys' plumage, but there has been geographical variation noted (Chilton et al. 1995).
The body mass of males tends to be slightly higher than females throughout the year. During the summer, the average weight of males is 28.27g for males, while it is about 25.47g for females (Chilton et al. 1995). Both sexes' mass, however, decreases at the beginning of the breeding season (more so in females), and increase by that same amount at the start of winter (Chilton et al. 1995).
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Average mass: 25.82 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.336 W.
Habitat 10
Zonotrichia leucophrys has proven to be very flexible in its choice of habitats. Varying from the edge of parking lots, to the meadows in the Rocky Mountains, or to boreal forests. The only features necessary for them are tall coniferous trees on the edge of a territory, grass, and bare ground for the birds to forage on, and coverage dense enough to hide a nest or roosting area (Chilton et al. 1995). Because of these fairly easy requirements, the white-crowned sparrow has been shown to breed in many different areas - at altitudes as low as 800 meters, or as high as within the Rocky Mountains. In the spring and fall, this bird lives in groups with other sparrow species. In the winter, the subspecies of Zonotrichia leucophrys that do migrate remain in a steady group with which they forage and roost.
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Migration 11
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Mostly a long-distance migrant, but migrations are more localized in the western U.S., and a sedentary subspecies (nuttalli) occurs along the coast of California. Migrations occur mainly in April-May and August-October. See Dunn et al. (1995) for information on the timing of migrations of the various subspecies.
Breeding population arrived in May and June in the Sierra Nevada (California), departed in September and October (Morton and Pereyra 1994); juveniles departed on migration in late September after most had traveled some distance from their birth site (Morton 1992).
In the Northwest Territories, adults began arriving on breeding grounds during the last week in May; remained until early September (Norment 1992).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Yathin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/36751725@N00/2113438171
- (c) Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/White-crowned_Sparrow_%28Zonotrichia_leucophrys%3B_nuttalli%29_Morro_Bay%2C_CA_29j_%282232004154%29.jpg
- (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
- (c) Ingrid Taylar from San Francisco Bay Area - California, USA, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/White-Crowned_Sparrow.jpg/460px-White-Crowned_Sparrow.jpg
- (c) Wolfgang Wander, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/White-crowned-Sparrow.jpg/460px-White-crowned-Sparrow.jpg
- (c) Denali National Park and Preserve (NPS Photo/Jacob W. Frank), some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/White_Crowned_Sparrows_Nest_%286187118808%29.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonotrichia_leucophrys
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31430440
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31430442
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31430441
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28918970
