White-crowned Sparrow: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Mike Baird · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Zonotrichia leucophrys
- Family
- New World Sparrows
- Size
- About 18 cm
- Habitat
- Scrub, forest edge, gardens and thickets
- Found in
- Europe, Asia, North America and South America
The key marks
Bold black and white stripes on the head, a pink or orange bill and a plain grey chest. White-throated Sparrow has a clean white throat patch, yellow spots in front of the eye and a darker bill.
Voice
A thin whistle followed by buzzy trills; a sharp 'pink' call.
Good to know
Males in different regions sing distinct local dialects, which they learn from their neighbours.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the White-throated Sparrow. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in scrub, forest edge, gardens and thickets. It is especially common in California and Arizona. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.