By Sally Siko

Every year flocks of White crowned Sparrows move through central North Carolina during migration.
Now winter is here, their populations are spread out and since they’ve settled in they’ve become a somewhat uncommon sight.
 Because I don’t get to enjoy these birds very often, it was fun to grab a few photos of these beauties this morning while birding at the Guilford County, Farm near Elon, NC.

With those bold stripes on their heads, White crowned Sparrows are unmistakable to ID in the field as their aptly named moniker suggests. 
Measuring over 6in in length, they are larger than other sparrow species too!
You’re most likely to find them hopping across the ground and through low foliage in dense brushy habitats. 
 As was the case with the White crowns pictured here, they are also fond of hunting for a meal in the grassy edges of hedge lines popping out of the brush for a second or two, landing on a fence or out in the open to scope out its surroundings.

The White-crowned Sparrows will stick around central North Carolina until May, then departing for their breeding grounds across northern Canada, Alaska, California and northern New Mexico.
If you’d like to go see them for yourself this winter, I’ve included a link to their exact location at the Guilford County Farm in this post.

Photos by Sally Siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5