If you're a birder, you'll know what a life list is. It's basically a list of all the bird species one has observed and positively ID'd in one's lifetime. This blog is a record of my "critter" life list (mostly of birds), including photos I've taken over the years, some of the actual lifer if I was lucky enough to get the shot. Don't expect National Geographic quality stuff here, just the work of an amateur photog who loves to trudge out into nature.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Golden-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

We get white-crowned sparrows down here in Southern California during the fall-winter months, but I've never seen golden-crowneds. They may be more common in the coastal areas, but certainly don't venture inland to our coastal chaparral habitat here in La Cresta. However, we've seen them regularly up in the Central Coast during our outings at the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festivals - my lifer was at Montana de Oro State Park in 2005. 
 1/14/06 Pismo State Beach campground (Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival event #35), San Luis Obispo County, CA

1/15/06 Washburn Day Use Area, San Simeon State Park, San Luis Obispo County, CA

1/14/05 Campground at Montana de Oro State Park (Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival tour "Birding Islay Creek"), San Luis Obispo County, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Golden-Crowned Sparrow

SPECIES: Zonotrichia atricapilla

LIFE LIST DATE: 1/14/2005

COUNT: 6

LOCATION: Campground at Montana de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, CA
"Birding Islay Creek" tour with Freeman and Worth Hall (Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival)

From Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Western Region:

IDENTIFYING MARKS & BEHAVIOR: 7" Black crown with a bold golden patch in the center; gray face; white eye ring; clear gray breast; In early winter, crown pattern slightly obscured by lighter edges to feathers.

VOICE: Song is 2-4 down slurred whistles, like phrase oh dear me.
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