THE WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 



(ZoHolrichia leucophrys.) 



ii 



With the snowflakes o'er the mountains 

 Hasten past the hawks from Northland, 

 Speed along the titmice, j uncos, 

 White-crowned Sparrows, wrens, and creepers, 

 Tiny kinglets, sweet-voiced bluebirds, 

 All in eager search for havens 

 Where the touch of winter kills not. 



— Frank Bolles, "Birds in October. 



Mr. Ernest E. Thompson calls the 

 White-crowned Sparrow an aristocrat of 

 the sparrow family. One of the largest 

 of the sparrows, its beautifully marked 

 plumage and its dignified mien, as it 

 stands on some exposed perch, imme- 

 diately attracts the attention of an ob- 

 server. Its range is extensive, covering 

 the whole of the United States during its 

 migrations, and in winter it passes fur- 

 ther southward into the valley regions of 

 southward into the valley regions of 

 Mexico. In the selection of a nesting 

 site a pure and cool atmosphere seems a 

 param.ount consideration. The moun- 

 tain regions of the western United States 

 and the country lying north of the great 

 lakes and eastward into Labrador seem 

 to meet the requirements for the home 

 building of these sweet dispositioned 

 birds. Then its music is sweetest. Dur- 

 ing its migration, however, localities not 

 favored with its home are often regaled 

 ''with selections of its melodies as it rests 

 in thickets and hedgerows while slowly 

 passing through our country on its north- 

 ward pilgrimage." From some high 

 bush or other favorable perch the male 

 will pour forth an almost unbroken song 

 while its mate is setting. Often this 

 song does not cease with the going down 

 of the sun, and it has been heard as late 

 as midnight. It is a ''lively, agreeable 

 song, fine and clear, and is frequently 

 heard from a score or more of birds at 

 the same time with a most pleasing ef- 

 fect." 



Its song, quite closely resembling that 

 of its relative the white-throated spar- 

 row, with which it quite frequently con- 

 sorts during its migrations, yet the two 

 songs are readily distinguishable. Mr. 

 Thompson compares the songs. He says : 

 "Its usual song is like the latter half of 



the white-throat's familiar refrain, re- 

 peated a number of times with a peculiar, 

 sad cadence and a clear, soft whistle that 

 is characteristic of the group." Dr. 

 Coues, speaking of the two songs, says 

 that the song of the White-crowned 

 Sparrow is "a less enterprising vocal ef- 

 fort, of only five or six syllables, like 

 pee, dee, de, de, de, the two first long 

 drawn, rising, the rest hurried and low- 

 ering." Transcribed into words, there 

 are almost as many renderings of the 

 White-crowned's song as there are ob- 

 servers. Mr. Burroughs says that the 

 song "begins with the words fe-u, fe-u, 

 fe-u, and runs off into trills and quavers 

 like the song sparrow's, only much more 

 touching." To Mr. Langille "the song 

 is quite peculiar, whee-who-who-zee-zee- 

 zee, the first three notes in a clear whis- 

 tle and the last three in a sort of jew's- 

 harp tone, the whole being decidedly 

 pleasing, and not at all like that of the 

 white-throat." 



The food of the White-crowned spar- 

 row consists of both insects and seeds. 

 To some extent they feed upon berries, 

 and y\udubon states that in Labrador 

 they also eat minute shellfish, "for which 

 they frequently search the margins of 

 ponds or the seashore." This bird is a 

 scratcher. It is also a hopper and hence 

 scratches with both feet at once. 



The nest of this Sparrow is usually 

 constructed of grass or moss and is 

 placed either on the ground or in low 

 bushes. Audubon describes a beautiful 

 nest of this species which he found in 

 Labrador. This nest "was placed in the 

 moss, near the foot of a low fir, and was 

 formed externally of beautiful dry green 

 moss, matted in bunches, like the coarse 

 hair of some quadruped; internally of 

 very fine, dry grass, arranged with great 



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