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White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org

Length: 5.5-7 in.
Habitat: mountain thickets, areas with scattered brush and trees; roadsides, suburbs (winter).

The trim, elegant hite-crowned Sparrow breeds in brushy, open terrain, whether in the sub-Arctic, in western mountains, or along the Pacific Coast. The nest site is usually on or near the ground. Male and female approach the nest differently: the male flies in directly; the female lands 10 to 15 feet away, then moves in by stages, pausing often to perch.

Its crown is broadly striped with black and white (light and dark brown on immature). The breast is gray; the bill is pink or yellowish, and the throat is pale.