Sparrows are difficult to identify, but the black and white zebra-stripe pattern on the head of the white-crowned sparrow eases the difficulty. White-crowned sparrows like to breed near treeline in areas with willows and stunted spruce trees, so they are often seen while hiking up to the alpine in the summer. Locally at lower elevations I’ve caught fleeting glimpses of them in the spring from mid-April to mid-May. During fall migration they tend to linger longer, providing more frequent sightings from late September to late October. After fall they drop to even lower elevations and some overwinter in the Colorado Springs area.

Sparrows are a large group of small birds that are typically found on or near the ground and have cone-shaped beaks that are ideal for cracking open seeds. A key feature to look for on sparrows is the presence or absence of streaking on the chest. Their head patterns and unique songs are also a big help in identification. Some other sparrows likely to be seen in Teller County include: Vesper, Lincoln’s, song and American tree sparrows and the dark-eyed juncos. Additional sparrows that are uncommon to rare migrants in Teller include: Brewer’s, Savannah, lark and clay-colored sparrows and also Colorado’s state bird the lark bunting.

Relative to other sparrows, the white-crowned is a bit larger with a chunkier body. Beyond the zebra-striped head, look for a white throat and pale wing bars. Also note that their gray chest lacks streaking. The sexes are similar but fall migration throws an identification curveball. The first-year birds lack the zebra pattern, instead they show light and dark brown stripes on the head. When hiking near alpine in summer the musical songs of the white-crowned rise from the willows, an extended series of whistles and trills.

While migrating, white-crowned sparrows occur in a wide variety of habitats, they can basically show up in any wooded or shrubby area. During fall they gather in flocks, often with other sparrows. The white-crowned prefers to ground forage for seeds, including at yard feeders, but they will also eat insects and fruits.

Bird sightings

Notable reports in September from the Woodland Park Yard Area, FOS = First of Season for fall migrants

• Great horned owl- reports from Woodland Park and Cripple Creek yard areas
• Broad-tailed hummingbird- one or two around most of the time, last local report on Sept. 25
• Calliope hummingbird- one or two around most of the time, last seen on Sept. 15
• Sandhill crane- report of flock flyover in Florissant on Sept. 26
• Williamson’s sapsuckers- last seen on Sept. 2
• Cordilleran flycatcher- last seen on Sept. 1
• Warbling vireo- last seen on Sept. 3
• Blue jay- one on Sept. 26
• Clark’s nutcracker- one on Sept. 28
• Ruby-crowned kinglet and red-breasted nuthatch- a few sightings
• Western bluebird- small flocks around some of the time
• Hermit thrush- one on Sept. 24
• Gray catbird- one on Sept. 2
• Brown creeper- one or two around most of the time, singing
• Wilson’s warbler- one or two around some of the time, fall migrant first seen on Sept. 5
• Yellow-rumped warbler- a few around most of the time, 8 on Sept. 24
• Orange-crowned warbler- one fall migrant on Sept. 21
• Chipping sparrow- a few sightings, 20 on Sept. 11, last sighting
• White-crowned sparrow- a couple sightings, fall migrant first seen on Sept. 15
• Lincoln’s sparrow- one on Sept. 10
• Red-winged blackbird- 4 on Sept. 23

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Joe LaFleur studied wildlife biology and communications at Colorado State University. He is author of the book Mountain Birds of Teller County and creator of “Better Birdwatching,” a DVD series on North American birds. His betterbirdwatching.com website features a Teller County Bird Checklist and Blog. Contact him with questions and feedback at joe@betterbirdwatching.com.