White-crowned Sparrow   at Fort Worden State Park, WA. [6/07]

These little guys are everywhere in the west. Spunky, not shy and quite vociferous, they're one of our many favorites. Locals all sing the same dialect, which varies from place to place.

For sparrows, notice size, breast-streaks, wing bars, behavior, tail length, and head markings.

The young of this species look quite different, with chestnut-colored head stripes.