Identification - This bird is a large sparrow with a black and white striped crown. The rest of the face and underparts are gray, the back is streaked with brown and the wings have two narrow bars. The tail is brownish and the bill is reddish. The northern, northwestern, and mountain races have different head patterns.
Morsels - In many places in North America flocks of White-crowned Sparrow hordes signal that spring has arrived. In many parts of the west, for instance, small flocks crowd roadside thickets and suburban lawns for hundreds of miles. In early autumn the returning birds stick closer to thickets and are mostly brown and tan-colored immatures.
