White-Crowned Sparrow

Day 195: "Sparrows with racing stripes." That's what I call White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and they're such active little hoppers that it suits them well. They're the most common sparrow in my yard, but even so, the populations of other species like juncoes and purple finches have always outnumbered them by a substantial margin. Not this year! The yard is positively alive with them, a dozen or more at the base of each feeder, scavenging the seeds kicked out by other birds. They prefer to forage on the ground, although they will visit the feeders when discarded food runs short or when I've put out fresh nyger (a favourite with them).