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| Golden-crowned Sparrow (upper right) with Spotted Towhee |
It's always fun to catch a "first-timer" in a BirdCam photo. This past weekend it was a
Golden-crowned Sparrow (
Zonotrichia atricapilla) that debuted at the BirdCam station. South Fidalgo is part of their winter range which extends from northern Baja, up the Pacific coast through Vancouver and Graham Islands in British Columbia. They breed in the subalpine interior of British Columbia, and through the southern Yukon into most of Alaska. Even during winter, they are rarely seen on South Fidalgo in my experience. This makes these photos even more pleasing. Their cousins, the White-crowned Sparrows are more common here.
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| Golden-crowned Sparrow (top left) |
This fellow has some streaking on the breast which would indicate a juvenile. In the breeding season, the golden crown would be surrounded by a distinctive black cap for both male and female. According to iBird, a group of Golden-crowneds is called a "reign." BirdWeb indicates they like to feed in
mixed flocks, and these photos bear that out. Perhaps I will see more of them in the coming days.
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| Golden-crowned Sparrow (bottom) with Juncos and a Song Sparrow |
