Golden-crowned Sparrow

With the arrival of autumn weather in late September and early October come Golden-crowned Sparrows. This species nests in Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and British Columbia, then spends the winter along the west coast from southern British Columbia to Baja California. They remain in the Willamette Valley until mid-May.

by John Rakestraw

Golden-crowned Sparrows are large and long-tailed. The upperparts are brown with blackish streaks on the back. The face and underparts are pale gray, often with a buffy wash on the sides. Adults show broad dark stripes on the sides of the crown (dark brown in winter, changing to black in spring) with a broad yellow stripe in the center of the crown. This yellow stripe changes to white near the back. Juvenile birds have finely streaked crowns with just a hint of yellow on the forehead. The bill is all dark, unlike the similar White-crowned Sparrow’s yellow or pinkish bill.

On the breeding grounds, Golden-crowned Sparrows nest on or near the ground. The nest is a bulky cup made of grasses and lined with hair and feathers. The clutch consists of three to five eggs. The male’s song, which is sometimes heard on the wintering grounds, is a plaintive SEEEEEEEE-soooooo-seee.

During winter, they form flocks in brushy habitats like fencerows, hedges, and weedy fields. The birds feed on the ground in open areas, retreating to heavy cover when startled. Golden-crowns eat a variety of seeds, fruit, buds, and insects. They will take black oil sunflower seeds and millet on the ground or in a platform feeder.