8 replies to this topic

[pupperlover]

Yesterday we were at Independence Pass Colorado (USA) at about 12,000 ft elevation and saw a small sparrow-like bird with a black crown with two prominent white lines, ear to ear and front to back. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a photo because my stupid camera was out of juice.

The body was dusty gray or brown with white. The bill was definitely cone shaped like a sparrow/finch but the most striking marking was the prominent white cross on the black crown.

What Bird am I?

[Liam]

Welcome to Whatbird! Take a look at White-crowned Sparrow.
http://www.flickr.co...crowned sparrow

[JimBob]

Ditto.

[pupperlover]

Close, but this bird had a very distinct + in white lines on its black crown. They were perpendicular to each othe forming a cross, or plus sign, and not parallel forming stripes. I have never seen anything like it. The lines extended from the front all the way over the crown and from one ear across the crown to the other ear (or close). VERY distinct lines.

[JimBob]

I think the back of the head of a white-crowned sparrow has a + like marking...

[spyonabird]

I found this picture (not mine) that shows the back of the head. Is this what you saw?
picture from here

[betiam]

My first instinct was a mountain chickadee, but I can't really think of a bird that has one white stripe going from one ear to the other and another white stripe going from the front to the back making a cross.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

This definitely sounds like a White-crowned. In my experience, they're the only sparrow commonly seen above tree-line in CO. Plus, the crown markings fit the description pretty perfectly.

[pupperlover]

That could easily be our bird. We only saw it from the back with head down hunting for crumbs but the coloration is right and from our view it could easily have appeared to be a PLUS on the crown. And the elevation eliminates most birds.

Many thanks