The sparrows with the go-faster stripes are back! Zonotrichia leucophrys (White-crowned Sparrow) is seasonal here, and while they may outnumber the other birds at my feeders for a while, the population will diminish over the summer as other sparrows move in. They will still be the dominant sparrow species, sharing the spotlight with a handful of Golden-crowneds and the occasional Chipping thrown in for spice, but will be only a small portion of the overall census which includes finches, grosbeaks, jays, etc. Now just for a moment, think about the racing stripes and how they might have contributed to this species' survival. With the head tipped down to scrounge seeds in grass, the bird's flecked brown back looks from above like a patch of dirt. The stripes appear to be nothing more than light and shadow to a passing predator. Pretty cool, huh?
No comments:
Post a Comment