White-crowned sparrows appear here in wintertime

When you see a mature White-crowned Sparrow, there is little doubt about how it got its name.

- BRUCE MCCAMMON

The bright white streak down the center of the top of its head is clearly evident and immediately catches your attention. Black stripes sit just above another band of white that forms an eyebrow extending to the rear of the head. A second black stripe stretches from the base of the beak to the eye than from the back of the eye to the rear of the head.

This zebra-like appearance is easily seen with the naked eye if you’re reasonably close to the bird.

Immature White-crowned Sparrows show the same striping but the bright white found in adults is replaced with a more dull, buff color.