Golden-Crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapilla
Golden-Crowned Sparrows winter in the Pacific States of the USA, but breed in British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. Science has neglected close study of this species, especially on its breeding grounds.
In winter, we often find these birds in flocks with other sparrows, especially White-Crowned Sparrows. My encounters with this species have all come from within the borders of California. Most have been in San Diego County, where I’m from, but I’ve met them in the Central Valley and on the border with Oregon at Tule Lake. I’ve found them in flocks that included Fox Sparrows.
Today’s science regards the Golden-Crowned Sparrow as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
Unlike many North American species, this bird’s population appears to be stable. The list of its enemies includes Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes, Sharp-Shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Northern Harriers, Merlins, Mountain Pygmy Owls, Western Screech Owls, Barn Owls, feral cats, and Columbian Ground Squirrels.
All of my meetings with Golden-Crowned Sparrows have been in their wintering range, in either California or in Oregon. On my March-2022 trip up the west coast, I seemed to find them at most of my stops in southern Oregon.
28 Photos
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:11 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X1086-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: My first encounter with this species was at Sacramento NWR. Between Williams and Sacramento, California. |
Date Taken: 2002:12:27 8:51 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: A2L27d07-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2002 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |
Golden-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Perched on Laurel Sumac near the Iron Mountain Trail, off Highway 67, between Poway and Ramona. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:03:10 16:57 |
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Location:
Iron Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X8092-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Sacramento NWR, between Willows and Williams, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:31 10:23 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X6173-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:17 13:14 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X0658-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:10 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X1085-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:06 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X1064-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:06 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X1057-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:05 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X1056-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:19 13:05 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X1054-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:17 13:29 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X0719-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:17 13:29 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X0711-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Up-slope along Old Mine Road, to the Montezuma Mines near Ranchita, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:10:17 13:28 |
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Location:
Old Mine Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X0702-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Sacramento NWR, near Willows, Northern California. |
Date Taken: 2003:12:17 16:12 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD_5115GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Discovery Marsh has been reclaimed from the old Tule Lake. This is a reversal of the process that converted this once enormous marshy lake and wetlands into farmlands. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:23 15:00 |
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Location:
Discovery Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D728286-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Discovery Marsh has been reclaimed from the old Tule Lake. This is a reversal of the process that converted this once enormous marshy lake and wetlands into farmlands. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:23 14:59 |
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Location:
Discovery Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D728277-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: Margaret Flemming Nature Trail (Torrey Pines State Park). Del Mar, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2012:12:27 12:28 |
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Location:
Margret Fleming Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X9869-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: As soon as I parked the van, I met sparrows, including this Golden-Crowned Sparrow. The Lone River Beach, just north of Brookings (Oregon) was by far, the best stop of the day. The deep, overcast skies could not prevent me from enjoying the company of these birds. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:24 14:57 |
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Location:
Lone Ranch Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8506878-LoneRanchBeach |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: As soon as I parked the van, I met sparrows, including this Golden-Crowned Sparrow. The Lone River Beach, just north of Brookings (Oregon) was by far, the best stop of the day. The deep, overcast skies could not prevent me from enjoying the company of these birds. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:24 14:59 |
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Location:
Lone Ranch Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8506913-LoneRanchBeach |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: At Bandon Marsh, this Golden-Crowned Sparrow and its mates were in the company of Fox and Song Sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:27 13:56 |
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Location:
Bandon Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8507783-BandonMarsh |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: At Bandon Marsh, this Golden-Crowned Sparrow and its mates were in the company of Fox and Song Sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:27 13:55 |
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Location:
Bandon Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8507776-BandonMarsh |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: At Bandon Marsh, this Golden-Crowned Sparrow and its mates were in the company of Fox and Song Sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:27 14:07 |
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Location:
Bandon Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8507926-BandonMarsh |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: At Bandon Marsh, this Golden-Crowned Sparrow and its mates were in the company of Fox and Song Sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:27 14:08 |
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Location:
Bandon Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8507934-BandonMarsh |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: At Bandon Marsh, this Golden-Crowned Sparrow and its mates were in the company of Fox and Song Sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:27 13:56 |
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Location:
Bandon Marsh |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8507787-BandonMarsh |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Margaret Flemming Nature Trail (Torrey Pines State Park). Del Mar, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2012:12:27 13:43 |
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Location:
Margret Fleming Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X9933-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: Discovery Marsh has been reclaimed from the old Tule Lake. This is a reversal of the process that converted this once enormous marshy lake and wetlands into farmlands. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:23 15:00 |
|
Location:
Discovery Marsh |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D728289-GoldenCrownedSparrow |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
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Description: I couldn’t resist capturing images of this Golden-Crowned Sparrow, while I was enjoying the scoters, loons, and grebes in the nearby harbor waters of Yaquina Bay. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:03 11:06 |
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Location:
South Yaquina Bay Jetty |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8500791-SouthYaquinaBayJetty |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Golden-Crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia atricapilla) |
|
Description: I couldn’t resist capturing images of this Golden-Crowned Sparrow, while I was enjoying the scoters, loons, and grebes in the nearby harbor waters of Yaquina Bay. |
Date Taken: 2022:04:03 10:56 |
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Location:
South Yaquina Bay Jetty |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: GoldenCrownedSparrow_8500639-SouthYaquinaBayJetty |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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