White-Crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys

White-Crowned Sparrows, with all of their subspecies, breed from the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin states, and north to Alaska and highest latitudes of the Canadian Arctic. These birds thrive at ground level and in low bushes and trees. They are common in the west and not so common in the east. They usually build nests near the ground on small trees or shrubs, but in the tundra of the high Arctic, where there are no shrubs or trees, they will nest on the ground.
Some subspecies are resident and do not migrate, but others travel significant distances each year. For example, the nuttalli subspecies remains year-round on the central coast of California, but the gambelii subspecies make long annual journeys from Alaska and Canada, to as far south as the southern USA and central Mexico.
Today, science recognises four subspecies (some say five) of White-Crowned Sparrow:
- Z. l. leucophrys breeds in the far north, east of Hudson Bay, to the Canadian Rocky Mountains and south through northern New Mexico, Nevada, southern Utah, and in Cascade-Sierra Nevada ranges, south to southern California. They spend winters in the southern tier of the United States.
- Z. l. gambelii breeds across North America’s northern tier from Alaska to Hudson Bay, and spends winters south in the southwestern USA through central Mexico.
- Z. l. pugetensis breeds coastally from southwestern British Columbia to northern California. They spend winters on the west coast of North America, south through southern California.
- Z. l. nuttalli lives on the central California coast.
I’ve enjoyed encounters with White-Crowned Sparrows during most of my expeditions in the Western USA. In 2005, while on my drive through Canada and Alaska, they were common at most of the stops I made along the journey. When I learned that the birds I was meeting were the same subspecies (gambelii) that wintered in my Southern California yard, I gained a greater respect for the lifestyle of these birds. The subjects I met in Big Bend (Texas) were likely members of the same subspecies who hadn’t begun their migration to their high latitude summer homes yet.
74 Photos

White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:30 17:12 |
Location:
Gooden Ranch |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 |
File Name: jcd1662WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: (Zonotrichia leucophrys) First winter bird at Point Loma, San Diego, California USA 2005-01-16. |
Date Taken: 2005:01:16 14:09 |
Location:
Fort Rosecrans |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/9.5, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD_2920WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Dempster Highway, Ogilvie River Valley, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:20 16:53 |
Location:
Ogilvie River Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD5819WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Spizella arborea) |
Description: North Fork Pass, Dempster Highway, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:19 17:01 |
Location:
North Fork Pass |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 280 mm, f/7.1, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD5431WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Adult bird in spring at Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County USA 2009-03-30. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:29 17:06 |
Location:
Goodan Ranch |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: JCD4824.WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Chick just out of the nest, but not yet fledged. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:16 7:37 |
Location:
Whitehorse |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 390 mm, f/5.6, 1/50 |
File Name: JCD4518WhiteCrownedSparrowChick |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Spring adult at Culp Valley in Anza-Borrego Park, between Ranchita and Borrego Springs. San Diego County, California USA 2008-03-27. |
Date Taken: 2008:03:27 8:09 |
Location:
Culp Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD4092WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2008 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 11:38 |
Location:
Old Mine Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X0925-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Adult bird at Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah USA 2015-05-07. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 16:48 |
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X9971-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Seen at the Otter Creek Reservoir, four miles north of Antimony Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 11:12 |
Location:
Otter Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X9737-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Seen at the Otter Creek Reservoir, four miles north of Antimony Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 11:09 |
Location:
Otter Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X9728-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Seen at the Otter Creek Reservoir, four miles north of Antimony Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 11:06 |
Location:
Otter Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X9727-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: First winter bird along Tubb Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park, near Culp Valley. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:26 11:02 |
Location:
Tubb Canyon Trail |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X3248-WhiteCrownedSparrow-1stWinter |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Adult bird seen along Morris Creek in Garner Valley. Riverside County, California USA 2014-10-23.lifornia. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:23 8:54 |
Location:
Garner Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X1431-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 11:42 |
Location:
Old Mine Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X0962-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Dempster Highway, Ogilvie River Valley, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:20 16:53 |
Location:
Ogilvie River Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD5817WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Many birds are attracted to the water stored in Ayer Lake at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. It is a well-known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 17:22 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4964-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Many birds are attracted to the water stored in Ayer Lake at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. It is a well-known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 17:18 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4938-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Many birds are attracted to the water stored in Ayer Lake at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. It is a well-known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 16:01 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4326-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Many birds, such as this first winter sparrow are attracted to the water stored in Ayer Lake at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. It is a well-known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 15:56 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4206-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Many birds are attracted to the water stored in Ayer Lake at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. It is a well-known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 15:12 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4044-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: This suburban immature bird looks to be the gambelli subspecies, which breeds in Alaska and the far north. Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:20 10:38 |
Location:
West 1st Street |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow-1stWinter_D5X1663-Thatcher-AZ |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These suburban birds look to be the gambelli subspecies, which breed in Alaska and the far north. Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:50 |
Location:
West 1st Street |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X2597-Thatcher-Arizona |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These suburban birds look to be the gambelli subspecies, which breed in Alaska and the far north. in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 10:39 |
Location:
West 1st Street |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X2495-Thatcher-Arizona |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The 'Bird & Butterfly Garden' at The Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:04:22 12:28 |
Location:
Bird & Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X5023-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: This juvenile bird at Morro Bay on the Central California Coast has not yet earned its First Winter head stripes. |
Date Taken: 2019:07:29 10:58 |
Location:
Morro Bay |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X9788-MorroBay |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The coastal slopes of Central California are a place to find the Nuttall's subspecies of White-Crowned Sparrow. Morro Bay on the Central California Coast. |
Date Taken: 2019:07:29 10:00 |
Location:
Morro Rock |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X9737-MorroBay |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Camped with the Science Team from the San Diego Natural History Museum at Granite Wells and gathering data as a followup study from previous studies of about 80 years prior. Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:12:01 10:25 |
Location:
Granite Well |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X1525 |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Birds *AND* mammals were the subject of the SDNHM study during this expedition. Though rodents occupied my primary focus, I did not neglect the common birds at this site. Pinyon Wells, Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:13 8:35 |
Location:
Pinyon Wells |
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D728372 |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in northern Tucson Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:25 14:38 |
Location:
Sabino Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X7572 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Camped with the San Diego Natural History team near Campo California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2017:10:25 8:30 |
Location:
Clover Flat |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X5416-CloverFlats |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Camped with the San Diego Natural History team near Campo California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2017:10:25 8:21 |
Location:
Clover Flat |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X5358-CloverFlats |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Camped with the San Diego Natural History team near Campo California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2017:10:25 8:28 |
Location:
Clover Flat |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X5403-CloverFlats |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Seen at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve on 2019-01-26, twelve miles southwest of the town of Merced, Merced County California (USA). |
Date Taken: 2019:01:26 16:15 |
Location:
Merced NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/10.0, 1/320 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D507909-Merced-NWR |
© 2018 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: A winter visitor seen at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve on 2019-01-26, twelve miles southwest of the town of Merced, Merced County California (USA). |
Date Taken: 2019:01:26 15:16 |
Location:
Merced NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 460 mm, f/10.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D507706-Merced-NWR |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The song of these birds at Morro Bay was distictly different from the "gambelli" subspecies I've encountered in San Diego and Alaska. The channel entering Morro Bay is a great place to meet Sea Otters and many birds. San Juis Obisbo County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:17 14:59 |
Location:
Morro Bay |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4403-MorroBay |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The song of these birds at Morro Bay was distictly different from the "gambelli" subspecies I've encountered in San Diego and Alaska. The channel entering Morro Bay is a great place to meet Sea Otters and many birds. San Juis Obisbo County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:17 9:05 |
Location:
Morro Bay |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4171-MorroBay |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:17 13:10 |
Location:
Old Mine Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X0633-WhiteCrownedSparrow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Because of the working well and wind pump at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend, it is a great place to meet a variety of birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:03 |
Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X3219-SamNailRanch |
(C)2019 Jack Daynes |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Up-close and personal view. Because of the working well and wind pump at the site of the old Sam Nail Ranch homestead in Big Bend, it is a great place to meet a variety of birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:01 |
Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X3209-SamNailRanch |
(C)2019 Jack Daynes |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: It was a clear calm morning, but a windy afternoon on the day I spent at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:29 11:10 |
Location:
Mesilla Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X2099-MesillaValley |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These are birds I met at the Gilbert Water Ranch, or Riparian Preserve which is located in the middle of the Valley of the Sun, or the Greater Phoenix Metropolian area, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:23 7:55 |
Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X9903-GilbertArizona |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The first winter White-Crowned Sparrows I met this day were not in the company of any adults. Driving south of Jackpot Nevada I found sparrows and juncos at a roadside rest area next to Salmon Falls Creek. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:07 10:14 |
Location:
Salmon Falls Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X7271-SalmonFallsCreek |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:56 |
Location:
Gage Gardens |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4218-Marathon |
(C)2019 Jack Daynes |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: A windmill driven pump along a stretch of "The Loneliest Road" (Hwy-50) in Nevada caught my attention and I had to turn back to investigate. This pipe, or one like it, has been supplying refreshing water to travelers since the mid-1800s. Aside from this White-Crowned Sparrow, I saw larks, wrens and Chukar during my brief stay there. |
Date Taken: 2020:10:24 9:16 |
Location:
Middlegate |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X7125-WestGateTank |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The first winter White-Crowned Sparrows I met this day were not in the company of any adults. Driving south of Jackpot Nevada I found sparrows and juncos at a roadside rest area next to Salmon Falls Creek. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:07 10:21 |
Location:
Salmon Falls Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X7342-SalmonFallsCreek |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The first winter White-Crowned Sparrows I met this day were not in the company of any adults. Driving south of Jackpot Nevada I found sparrows and juncos at a roadside rest area next to Salmon Falls Creek. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:07 10:32 |
Location:
Salmon Falls Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X7451-SalmonFallsCreek |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: It came as no surprise to me that White-Crowned Sparrows were among the most numerous passerines on the reserve. It was a relatively slow day for birds at Bosque del Apache, but even a slow day there beats most places I’ve birded. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:30 9:29 |
Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X2508-BosqueDelApache |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: White-Crowned and Savannah Sparrows enjoyed the morning sun along the auto-tour road. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 9:17 |
Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X1918-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: White-Crowned and Savannah Sparrows enjoyed the morning sun along the auto-tour road. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 9:23 |
Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X1967-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These were the only sparrow species I saw come to the water during my watch. The morning after I arrived, the birds found a temporary watering hole at Pine Springs Camp. The event at Guadalupe National Park was a memorable one for me. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:28 9:02 |
Location:
Pine Springs |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4060-GuadalupeMountain-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These were the only sparrow species I saw come to the water during my watch. The morning after I arrived, the birds found a temporary watering hole at Pine Springs Camp. The event at Guadalupe National Park was a memorable one for me. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:28 10:30 |
Location:
Pine Springs |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X5679-GuadalupeMountain-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These were the only sparrows I met here. Dug Out Wells is located between Panther Junction in the north and Rio Grande Village to the south. Originally established as a rest area for weary desert travelers in the early 1900s, the water now serves birds and wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:06 9:52 |
Location:
Dug Out Wells |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X8436-DugOutWells-BigBend |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: In the cactus garden, these were the only sparrows I met. In Langtry Texas there is a museum run by the Texas DOT and dedicated to the memory of Judge Roy Bean, who was a colorful Texan figure in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Outside the visitor center is a lovely cactus garden replete with many of the native birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:08 9:32 |
Location:
Roy Bean Visitor Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X9270-Langtry-TX |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Winchester Bay, on the central Oregon coast, hosted its share of White-Crowned Sparrows. I enjoyed watching this bird only 10 feet away singing from a pile of old fisherman’s ropes and gear. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:01 12:25 |
Location:
Winchester Bay |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8509496-WinchesterBay |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Winchester Bay, on the central Oregon coast, hosted its share of White-Crowned Sparrows. I enjoyed watching this bird only 10 feet away singing from a pile of old fisherman’s ropes and gear. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:01 12:24 |
Location:
Winchester Bay |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8509473-WinchesterBay |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: North of Bandon’s Jetties lies Bullards Beach. On my visit, I found many White-Crowned Sparrows in full song. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:28 10:56 |
Location:
North Jetty |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8508230-BandonNorthJety |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The White-Crowned Sparrows living along California’s central coast belong to the subspecies Z. l. Nuttalli, and are non-migratory. One of my favorite regions to explore is California’s central coast. Always a favorite stop for me in Morro Bay, is the inlet at the north end of the bay. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:01 14:05 |
Location:
Morro Rock |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501734-MorroBay |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The region around the mouth of the Eel River, including Hookton Slough, has been a productive place to meet a variety of bird species. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:10 13:31 |
Location:
Hookton Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8504753-HooktonSlough |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: As soon as I parked the van, I met sparrows, including this White-Crowned Sparrow. The Lone River Beach, just north of Brookings (Oregon) was by far, the best stop of the day. The deep, overcast skies could not prevent me from enjoying the company of these birds. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:24 14:59 |
Location:
Lone Ranch Beach |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8506929-LoneRanchBeach |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: North of Bandon’s Jetties lies Bullards Beach. On my visit, I found many White-Crowned Sparrows in full song. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:28 10:16 |
Location:
North Jetty |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8507951-BandonNorthJety |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: A feeder watch near the visitor center provided meeting with the neighborhood sparrows. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 12:12 |
Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X2523-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: These were the only sparrow species I saw come to the water during my watch. The morning after I arrived, the birds found a temporary watering hole at Pine Springs Camp. The event at Guadalupe National Park was a memorable one for me. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:28 9:02 |
Location:
Pine Springs |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X4053-GuadalupeMountain-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: In the cactus garden, these were the only sparrows I met. In Langtry Texas there is a museum run by the Texas DOT and dedicated to the memory of Judge Roy Bean, who was a colorful Texan figure in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Outside the visitor center is a lovely cactus garden replete with many of the native birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:08 9:32 |
Location:
Roy Bean Visitor Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X9275-Langtry-TX |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: This 1st winter sparrow found the food on the ground at the feeding station worthwhile. For my last expedition while camped in Palmview (Texas), I drove two miles to explore the National Butterfly Center near Mission. I found it was a lovely place to meet birds and some like-minded nature lovers. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:25 12:22 |
Location:
National Butterfly Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_D5X5902-NationalButterflyCenter |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The White-Crowned Sparrows living along California’s central coast belong to the subspecies Z. l. Nuttalli, and are non-migratory. One of my favorite regions to explore is California’s central coast. Always a favorite stop for me in Morro Bay, is the inlet at the north end of the bay. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:01 13:21 |
Location:
Morro Rock |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501574-MorroBay |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: The White-Crowned Sparrows living along California’s central coast belong to the subspecies Z. l. Nuttalli, and are non-migratory. One of my favorite regions to explore is California’s central coast. Always a favorite stop for me in Morro Bay, is the inlet at the north end of the bay. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:01 14:00 |
Location:
Morro Rock |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501663-MorroBay |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: North of Bandon’s Jetties lies Bullards Beach. On my visit, I found many White-Crowned Sparrows in full song. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:28 10:55 |
Location:
North Jetty |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8508218-BandonNorthJety |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: North of Bandon’s Jetties lies Bullards Beach. On my visit, I found many White-Crowned Sparrows in full song. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:28 10:54 |
Location:
North Jetty |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8508213-BandonNorthJety |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: North of Bandon’s Jetties lies Bullards Beach. On my visit, I found many White-Crowned Sparrows in full song. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:28 10:18 |
Location:
North Jetty |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8507965-BandonNorthJety |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: I couldn’t bear to leave Whitehorse without trying my luck one last time capturing Arctic Terns. And as long as birds, such as this White-Crowned Sparrow obliged, I’d take their picture too. |
Date Taken: 2022:06:17 14:20 |
Location:
Riverdale |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501397-Whitehorse.YK_ |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: I couldn’t bear to leave Whitehorse without trying my luck one last time capturing Arctic Terns. And as long as birds, such as this White-Crowned Sparrow obliged, I’d take their picture too. |
Date Taken: 2022:06:17 14:17 |
Location:
Riverdale |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501383-Whitehorse.YK_ |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: I couldn’t bear to leave Whitehorse without trying my luck one last time capturing Arctic Terns. And as long as birds, such as this White-Crowned Sparrow obliged, I’d take their picture too. |
Date Taken: 2022:06:17 14:12 |
Location:
Riverdale |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8501360-Whitehorse.YK_ |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


White-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys) |
Description: Malheur NWR has been one of my favorite Oregon birding destinations since I found my way there in December 2003. The refuge’s visitor center still provided some good meetings with birds such as this White-Crowned Sparrow. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:25 10:45 |
Location:
Malheur NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteCrownedSparrow_8505340-MalheurNWR |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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