What does the White-crowned Sparrow song sound like?
Play the real White-crowned Sparrow song, the "thin whistles ending in a trill", and learn what to listen for.
What the White-crowned Sparrow song sounds like
A series of clear, sweet whistled notes that often start on a high pitch, then drop or slide, and may end with a rapid trill or jumble. One typical song version is a sequence of two or three drawn whistles followed by a rapid choppy warble. Because songs differ by region, one bird's song might be described as "peeee teee teeee ti-ti-trill." Another population's song might have a different pattern of whistles and trills.
“thin whistles ending in a trill”
How to find the bird singing it
Open scrubby areas, brush piles, field edges, and thickets. Breeds in tundra, alpine meadows, and boreal or montane shrublands. During migration and winter found in weedy fields, hedgerows, forest edges, desert scrub, and backyards (often on the ground or low in bushes). Often seen along roadsides or fence rows with dense low cover.
- Head Pattern: Bold white and black stripes on the crown in adults (giving a "white-crowned" appearance). The face is gray with a thin dark line through the eye. The lores (between eye and bill) are plain (no bright spot). Juveniles have crown stripes in rich brown and tan instead of black and white.
- Bill: Stout, conical sparrow bill. Color varies: usually a pinkish or yellow-orange tone (brighter yellow in some western subspecies). The bill is unmarked (unicolored) and stands out against the gray face.
- Back and Wings: Warm brown with dark brown streaks. The wings are brown with two clear white wingbars. When the wings are folded, the white bars and some chestnut-brown feather edges are visible.
When you'll hear it
Spring
Many adults in spring have fresh, crisp plumage: striking black-and-white head stripes and bright bill. They migrate north and arrive on breeding grounds in May. Males sing frequently – a sweet, thin whistle – to establish territories. Breeding plumage is at its sharpest; by late spring they build nests in tundra or scrub and lay eggs.
Summer
On the Arctic tundra or mountain meadows, adults maintain territory and raise young. Both sexes feed nestlings. Males continue to sing on territory through early summer. By mid-summer adults may look a bit worn. Young sparrows hatch with down and then molt into a juvenile plumage with brown striped heads by late summer.
Fall
Birds migrate south starting in September. Adults molt into a fresh basic plumage after breeding (which for White-crowned Sparrows looks similar to breeding plumage, retaining the bold head pattern in adults). Juveniles undergoing their first fall molt will acquire adult-like head stripes (black/white) if male or female (plumage is similar in both). During fall migration, many individuals (including brown-striped first-year birds) forage together. They are less vocal in fall, though you may hear occasional calls.
Winter
Found in flocks on wintering grounds (southern US, Mexico). Plumage in winter is similar to fall: adults still show white and black head stripes (though the black may fade to brownish by late winter), and first-year birds show tan and brown head stripes their first winter. They spend a lot of time feeding on the ground. Males will sometimes sing quietly even in winter. By the end of winter (early spring), they begin prealternate molt, touching up feathers for spring (though changes are subtle).
Don’t confuse it with
Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.