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Golden-crowned Sparrow
last update: Mar 25, 2009 12:53 PM
Latin name: Zonotrichia atricapilla
Population: 5.2 million individuals
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: North Pacific coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands south to British Columbia
Age/ life expectancy: unknown
Wingspan: 22-25 cm
Length: 15-18 cm
Weight: 22-35 g
Mating/Breeding: The male defends his territory and attracts a mate by singing from an exposed perch. Pairs are monogamous, and paired birds will forage together during the breeding season. Early in the breeding season, when there may still be snow on the ground, the nests are usually built in trees or shrubs. Later nests are usually built on the ground, often dug into the ground, or placed in a depression so their rims are even with the ground. The female probably builds the nest alone. The nest is a bulky cup of twigs, bark, moss, ferns, leaves, and grass, lined with fine grass, hair, and sometimes ptarmigan feathers. The female incubates the 3 to 4 eggs for 11 to 13 days, and the male may bring her food while she is on the nest. Both parents help feed the young, which leave the nest at 9 to 11 days but are fed by the parents for a while longer.
Eggs: 3-4 pale blue or pale green eggs speckled or spotted red-brown
Hibernation: migrates to the western coast of the US in the winter
Hunting Habits: ground foraging
Feed on: buds, seeds, and insects
Colour/Body: The Golden-crowned Sparrow has bright breeding plumage with a bright yellow crown flanked with bold, black bars. The yellow extends to the nape of the neck and then changes to whitish; the black covers the top half of the eye. The back is light brown with bold stripes. The rump is unstreaked and brownish-gray, with the color extending through the long tail. The wings are brightly patterned with two white wing-bars. The breast and belly are not streaked. Non-breeding plumage is more subdued than breeding plumage, with most of the black and white on the head gone, and the yellow a softer shade. Young birds keep an immature plumage with little or no yellow through their first winter.
Interesting Trivia:
- The Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives earlier and stays longer on its California wintering grounds than most any other bird species.
