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| An adult white-crowned sparrow. Photo by J.J. Meyer |
My first backyard sighting was on September 29th this year, though other birders had reported sightings much earlier. Since their arrival, I've had only one or two at time in our yard, a far cry from the flock of 25-30 that used to winter with us several years ago. Many factors effect the populations of songbirds, including disease, climate changes and competition for food. I also wonder if the Oregon and Northern California fires may have disrupted their breeding and migratory patterns.
Like most sparrows, white-crowns are ground feeders, and prefer to stay close to the safety of trees and shrubs. Though they may sometimes visit suet and platform feeders, they're more likely to stay on the ground eating seeds dropped by other birds.
Welcome these winter visitors by tossing black oil sunflower seeds, millet and cracked corn on the ground for them.
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Happy Birding!
J.J.
Hi, I also noticed that I received less white-crowned sparrows in my SoCal yard this year too.
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