Bird guide · Zonotrichia atricapilla
Golden-crowned Sparrow
What the golden-crowned sparrow eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant
- Size
- 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
- Eats
- seeds
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Oregon, Washington, California
Food
What do golden-crowned sparrows eat?
At feeders, golden-crowned sparrows take seeds.
Forages on the ground under thickets, often mixed with White-crowned Sparrows.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do golden-crowned sparrows live?
Breeds in Alaska and western Canada; common in winter along the Pacific slope from Vancouver to San Diego. By share of all bird sightings, golden-crowned sparrows are most common in Oregon (1.0%).
States where golden-crowned sparrows are most common
- Oregon1.0%
- Washington0.8%
- California0.7%
- Alaska0.7%
- Nevada0.1%
- New Mexico0.01%
- Colorado0.01%
- Idaho0.01%
- Arizona0.01%
- Utah0.01%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are golden-crowned sparrows, 2019–2024.
Season
When can you see the golden-crowned sparrow?
Migrant. Across the US, it is mainly reported from September to June, most often in December.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are golden-crowned sparrows, by month.
Identification
How to identify the golden-crowned sparrow
Adults: Summer adults have black head stripes around a gold crown patch; winter pattern is duller; bill mostly dark.
Size: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the golden-crowned sparrow on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Golden-crowned Sparrow: questions
What do golden-crowned sparrows eat?
At feeders, seeds.
Do golden-crowned sparrows migrate?
Migrant. Across the US, it is mainly reported from September to June, most often in December.
Where do golden-crowned sparrows live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Nevada. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
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