White-crowned Sparrow - Ross Feldner This member of the passerine family is easily recognized by its bold black and white head markings and is fairly common wintering across America. The White-crowned Sparrow feeds on mostly seeds, plant parts and insects. Studies suggest that stronger males seem to have brighter white crown markings. Using a decoy experiment, they found that territory-holding males respond more aggressively to decoys with more white on their crowns. In addition to its striking crown markings, the White-crowned Sparrow is known for its unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, which allows it to stay half-awake for up to two weeks during migration. This effect has been studied for possible human alertness applications in shift work and truck driving. It is a very vocal bird, singing its song, a series of clear short whistles followed by buzzing, over and over during spring and summer days and moonlit nights. Interestingly, the White-crowned Sparrow sings different songs, or dialects, depending on where it lives. | |
