Golden-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrows consume an almost entirely vegetarian diet while on their wintering range. They eat buds and flowers, to the extent that they may exact a toll on California gardens. They are especially fond of sprouted seeds, including those of garden vegetables. Little is known of their breeding biology, but it is thought that insects make up a large percentage of their summer diet and that nestlings are fed nearly 100 percent insects.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow, like other "crowned" sparrows—the White-crowned (Z. leucophrys) and the White-throated (Z. albicollis) sparrow—is a largish, relatively long-tailed sparrow with a striking head pattern. It is a western species that largely replaces the White-crowned Sparrow along the Pacific Coast and adjacent mountain areas. Golden-crowned Sparrows breed in alpine and tundra areas from Alaska to extreme northwest Washington. They frequent alder and willow thickets, or dwarf conifers, often above or beyond the tree line as long as there are sufficient numbers of small bushes and scrub. The song of three, clear, whistled descending notes, (three blind mice or oh dear me) is sung by males from exposed perches.

Autumn migration begins in late July as birds move to their wintering range west of the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada from southwestern Alaska to Baja California. They are most common in winter along the coast from Oregon to southern California, and many of these birds inhabit the national forests and wildlife refuges of central and northern California. Typical winter habitats are dry woodlands, brush and thickets, and the margins of cultivated fields. Golden-crowned Sparrows flock with other species, especially White-crowned Sparrows. Although the overlap is considerable in these two species' wintering habitats, Golden-crowned Sparrows tend to inhabit moister and denser areas than White-crowned Sparrows; Golden-crowned Sparrows are also warier and flush more easily. Flocks of 10 to 20 birds maintain well-defined winter ranges and may migrate back to the same territory each year.
Golden-crowned Sparrow Range Map

Description: The two sexes of Golden-crowned Sparrows look alike. Breeding adults have broad, black crown stripes reaching to the hindneck, with a yellow crown patch in between. The sides of the face and underparts are pale gray, and even paler on the throat; the breast and flanks are a warmer grayish brown. The belly and undertail coverts are whitish in color. The upperparts are brown, streaked with black. The wings are rufous brown, with black on the tertial feathers and with two narrow, whitish wingbars. The tail is long, brown, and slightly notched. The bill is two toned, dusky above with a pinkish lower mandible.

Winter plumage differs little from breeding plumage, except that it’s less colorful, especially on the head. Usually the yellow patch remains visible on the forecrown, and the black crown stripes are less evident. First-winter birds are similar to winter adults, but often they have even less color. The crown stripes are indistinct, but there is some yellow or yellow brown on the crown.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow is similar in appearance to the two other "crowned" sparrows, but this sparrow can be distinguished, not only by its yellow crown patch, but also by its lack of the large, bright, white supercilium over a thin, dark eye stripe that both the White-crowned and White-throated sparrows display. Additionally, the White-throated Sparrow has a bright, white throat patch that is absent on the Golden-crowned Sparrow. First-winter White-crowned and White-throated sparrows are dull in color, and they look much like first-winter Golden-crowned Sparrows. But White-crowned and White-throated sparrows sport a pale gray-brown, not buffy, supercilium and lack the yellow that is present on the first-year Golden-crowned Sparrow's crown.


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