Golden-crowned Sparrow
(Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Overview

Summary

© Jukka Jantunen (flickr.com/photos/jukka_jantunen)
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Golden-crowned Sparrow breeds in subalpine habitats in the mountains of western Canada. It winters in south coastal British Columbia and Pacific coastal states in the United States, where it is monitored by the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). CBC data suggest a moderate increase in population since 1970, though the northernmost range is not well covered. There are no conservation concerns for the species at this time. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1970-2016)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation

General nesting period in Canada

Conservation and management

The remoteness of the Golden-crowned Sparrow's subalpine shrub nesting habitat means it is not subject to widespread human disturbance during the breeding season. Wintering habitats are less secure but there is no evidence that habitat is limiting at that time of year (Norment et al. 1998).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Norment, C.J., P. Hendricks and R. Santonocito. 1998. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Norment, C.J., P. Hendricks and R. Santonocito. 1998. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)