White-crowned Sparrow

The White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys, is a medium-sized sparrow.

Adults have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow. They are similar in appearance to the White-throated Sparrow but do not have the white throat markings.

Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across northern Canada and the western United States. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs.

In some parts of the west, they are permanent residents. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States. White-crowned Sparrow is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, but sometimes make short flights to catch flying insects. They mainly eat seeds, other plant parts and insects. In winter, they often forage in flocks.

The call is a mournful Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody.