From the Piedmont in NC. I'm confused about birds named "White headed sparrow" While the internet shows this bird with a black and white striped head, the bird at my feeder has a completely white head down through the nape and throat of its head. This is how Sibley pictures the white headed sparrow in his Birding Basics (p 83). As a novice I do not understand these differences. I have never seen the Sibley WHS at my feeder before this year.
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Two kinds of White Headed Sparrows in the Piedmont of NC (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter blues
- Start date
I think I know what you mean by 'NC'... But for people who don't live there it's nice to have it spelt out - and the country too.
I'm not aware of any bird that, in any formal sense, is known as 'white-headed sparrow'. You may have meant white-crowned sparrow or white-throated sparrow?
If you have seen a sparrow-like bird with an entirely white head in Europe or N America, it's got some sort of aberrant plumage.
I'm not aware of any bird that, in any formal sense, is known as 'white-headed sparrow'. You may have meant white-crowned sparrow or white-throated sparrow?
If you have seen a sparrow-like bird with an entirely white head in Europe or N America, it's got some sort of aberrant plumage.
Last edited:
nartreb
Speak softly and carry a long lens
Ahem. One of the Piedmonts crosses North Carolina and six other US states. The term simply means "foothill" (pied = foot, mont = mountain); the "original" Piedmont is a region of Italy.
Like the others I cannot think of a sparrow-sized bird with an all-white head that would be found in North Carolina. (Best I can do is a female white-breasted nuthatch, if seen from the front so the crown and nape are not really visible.)
Would love to know what's on page 83 of Birding Basics. Seems unlikely that Sibley would be depicting a leucistic bird.
Like the others I cannot think of a sparrow-sized bird with an all-white head that would be found in North Carolina. (Best I can do is a female white-breasted nuthatch, if seen from the front so the crown and nape are not really visible.)
Would love to know what's on page 83 of Birding Basics. Seems unlikely that Sibley would be depicting a leucistic bird.
birdboybowley
Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
Assume it's a leucistic species?
If all you know of it is that it's a sparrowy (brown/streaky?) little thing with an entirely white head, then it's as likely (maybe more likely) to be an aberrant house sparrow as it is to be a sparrow species with 'white' in it's name. I fear you will need a photo in order to get an ID.
Deb Burhinus
Used to be well known! 😎
It would be more accurate to say that this looks like the bird at your feeder. I'm afraid that we still don't know what species yours is, as there are several species of sparrow - American sparrows and house sparrow - with body plumage that broadly resembles this one's.
One of my favorite books is:
The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time
Book by Jonathan WeinerDemonstrates how species change within 5 years to adapt to changes in the environment.
The white headed sparrow, although I know of no charcoal grey sparrow, could be an genetic adaptation to climate change. Reports of this bird seen also in Charlotte NC about 150 miles away. A nice mystery for science to solve!
Not really. It's just an individual with partly-white plumage. This occurs in a large range of (all?) bird species.
