While some sparrows are hard to distinguish from each other, this is not the case with the White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys. The bold white and black steaks on the head make the mature adults easy to identify. Although the immature birds lack the black and white stripes they have brown and white stripes that presage the later change to black and white. This distinctive bird is a common inhabitant of suburban parks and gardens.
A movie of both the adult and immature bird feding on seeds together is shown on the BIRD MOVIES page.