Bird Finder for October 23, 2015: White-crowned Sparrow

What it looks like: The White-crowned Sparrow is a large, sturdy sparrow with a moderately long tail. Like most sparrows, it is a streaky brown on the back. Note two thin wingbars. The underparts are a pale gray-brown and are ALWAYS unstreaked, which sets this sparrow apart from many others.

This bird gets its name from a striking white-and-black striped crown. Adults are almost unmistakable in this way, with only the White-throated Sparrow showing a similar crown pattern. However, most of the White-crowns we see in autumn are young birds with brown-and-tan striped crowns; much less obvious than the adults!

Where to find it: White-crowned Sparrows favor weedy fields during fall migration. Agricultural areas and community gardens are two places to look for them. But they can turn up in any weedy or shrubby area, often in the company of other sparrow species.

Sort through mixed flocks of more common species to find yourself a White-crowned. Sometimes several can be seen together, particularly during mid-October.

When to look: October is the month of sparrow migration, and there is no better time to find this species in Connecticut. Small numbers overwinter in some areas, usually farm field edges. They pass through again in the spring, mostly during May, and are completely absent during the breeding season as they nest well to our north and west.

Conservation status: This widespread species is listed under the “Least Concern” category by the IUCN, however populations declined by about 33 percent between 1966 and 2010, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.