White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - local seasonal appearance

Based on 35 observations in Seymour township, Northumberland county, southeast Ontario, June 1998- 07 April 2024.

The white-crowned sparrow is a native North American species. It breeds in the north, from James Bay across northern Quebec to Labrador. As such, it passes rapidly through our area in spring, almost entirely in May, and returns over a more leisurely period centred on October. Both the bright adults and the more muted juveniles may be found at seed feeders. Individuals and pairs may be seen, but seldom more than four at a time. At Presqu'ile Park, the white-crowned sparrow is a common spring (May) and uncommon fall (late September to late October) migrant (LaForest, 1993, pp.362-363). In Peterborough county (Sadler, 1983, p.152) spring dates range from 11 April to 20 May. Winter records excist for southern Ontario and New York state, but they are rare.

View the complete 25-year (1999-2023) monthly data summary (74-kb pdf file).

The white-crowned sparrow breeds up near the tree line in the far north of Ontario. It nests on the ground, though the nests are hard to find. (Cadman et al., 1987, p.556). It is locally common in open areas with dwarf spruce, tamarack, birch or willow, mostly in the Hudson Bay Lowlands (Cadman et al., 2007, pp.570-571). In the Kingston region of southeast Ontario, this sparrow is a common migrant, albeit for brief transits in spring and autumn: the autumn flight is more protracted than the northward movement in spring (Weir, 1989, pp.444-446). The limited data from Seymour Twp. are consistent with this picture. A rare to uncommon winter resident in New York state, this sparrow is most abundant there as a fall migrant (Levine, 1998, pp.530-531).

References

Cadman,MD, Eagles,PFJ and Helleiner,FM (1987) Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario. Federation of Ontario Naturalists and Long Point Bird Observatory, published by University of Waterloo Press, 617pp.

Cadman,MD, Sutherland,DA, Beck,GG, Lepage,D and Couturier,AR (editors) (2007) Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, 706pp.

LaForest,SM (1993) Birds of Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Friends of Presqu'ile Park / Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 436pp.

Levine,E (editor) (1998) Bull's Birds of New York State. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, revised version, 622pp.

Sadler,D (1983) Our Heritage of Birds: Peterborough County in the Kawarthas. Peterborough Field Naturalists / Orchid Press, Peterborough, ON, 192pp.

Weir,RD (1989) Birds of the Kingston Area. Quarry Press, 608pp. plus map.

Graham Wilson, posted 09 October 2023 / 09 April 2024.

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