• Local Birding Email Newsletter Signup
• Local Nature/Birding Information & Events
• • How to Prevent Squirrels at Your Feeders
  • How to Attract Flickers/Woodpeckers
  • Hummingbirds, Orioles, Tanagers Oh My!
  • How to Help Your Birds During Winter
  • Attract More Ground-feeding Birds to Your Yard
  • Woodpecker Leaving Nest YouTube
  • Attract, Feed & House Bluebirds
  • How to Keep Your Birds Warm
  • Bird Feeding Tricks and Tips
  • Providing Food Now Will Help Later
  • The Future of Bird Feeding Starts Here
  • Making Time (and Birds) Stand Still
  • Creating a Productive Bird Habitat
• Local Birds To Look For Now
• • Bird-of-the-Month: Bullocks Oriole
  • American Robin
  • Western Scrub, Steller's & Pinyon Jays
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • Oregon Junco
  • Northern Flicker Woodpecker
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Nuthatch
  • Goldfinches
  • Owls
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • California Quail
  • Wrens
  • Rufous Hummingbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Western Bluebird
  • Spotted Towhee
  • Mockingbird
  • House Finch
  • Mountain Chickadee
  • Grosbeaks
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Local Bird Pictures
  • What Bird Is That?
• See Newest Products
• • See Squirrel Proof Feeder
  • Owl Seed Cylinder Video
  • Snowman Seed Cylinder Video
  • Penguin Seed Cylinder Video
  • New Birdacious System
  • Easy Installation ... Bird Perfect Pole
• Rewards Program: WBU Too
• This Could Be Your Backyard
• • Dinner Time
  • Classic, Tough Bird Feeder
• Watching Birds
• • How To Better Identify Birds
  • Canada Geese
• Where Do Birds Go At Night?
• No Squirrels Allowed
• Bird Wallpaper for Your Computer
• • All Seasons Hobby Guide
• Get Email News

White-crowned Sparrow

March 2010 – Bird of the Month

Though the White-crowned Sparrow is the native sparrow we see most frequently in the Truckee Meadows during winter, there are other native sparrows with distinct differences that visit our feeders.

• White-crowned Sparrows have been known to migrate over 2600 miles from Alaska to California.  While migrating north in the spring, their average travel distance is about 70 miles per day.
• White-crowned Sparrows show loyalty to their winter territories and are likely to return to the same areas each year.
• Male white-crowned Sparrows can actually be bilingual, learning and using distinct song dialects from their home territory and a bordering one.
• During the winter, a White-crowned Sparrow’s body contains about 3 grams of fat of which half is used up at night and must be replaced everyday.
• Through the analysis of bird banding records, the average life span of a
  White-crowned Sparrow is thought be around 16 months while the longest known lifespan was just over 13 years.

• Chipping Sparrows visit the Truckee Meadows during the summer and breed here.
• Chipping Sparrows must consume over two pounds of seeds through the course of winter to survive.  With an average body weight of only 13 grams, this means that Chipping Sparrows consume over 70 times their own weight in seeds each winter.
• Most birds molt all of their body feathers once or twice a year.  Chipping Sparrows follow the same schedule and they ay also replace the feathers on their face and throat up to six times a year.
• Song Sparrows are the most common and widespread sparrow native to North America and are found year round in the Truckee Meadows.
• There are 31 recognized subspecies of the Song Sparrow, more than any other bird species found in North America
• When migrating, female Song Sparrows travel farther south than do their male counterparts.

Native sparrows are ground feeders.  Their diet includes seeds, bugs, grass, fruits and insects.  They readily eat WBU Premium Black Oil Sunflower Seed and White Deluxe Blend (shelled sunflower, hulled millet, safflower). 

For more information about these native sparrows, visit rightbird.com – our online bird guide.

Make March Less Stressful for Birds

Simply put, March can be a very difficult month for your birds.Birds' natural food supply is at its lowest point of the year. Insect populations are still low, and the few remaining wild fruits, berries, seeds and nuts are either hidden or undesirable.

Unpredictable weather doesn't make life any easier. Sunny, warm, spring-like days can turn into cold, damp conditions that challenge birds' survival skills. And to make matters worse, this is all happening as some birds prepare for nesting season.

However, these various challenges provide you with a wonderful opportunity to help your birds.

Offer your birds lots of high-energy foods, such as peanuts and suet. Loaded with fat and protein, these are beneficial substitutes for the scarce insects many birds would eat if they could find them.

Counteract the lack of natural insects by offering protein-rich mealworms. They're eaten by numerous bird species and can be a lifesaver during a sudden cold snap.

Birds build open-cup shaped nests in trees or on the ground, or they nest in cavities (or holes) in trees. By placing nesting materials and installing bird houses around your backyard, you can entice a variety of different birds. Bird houses can make your birds' lives a little easier. After all, they have already expended a lot of energy establishing territories, courting and looking for scarce food.

Stop by this month. From high-fat, high-protein food to quality nesting boxes, we have everything you need to help your birds be less stressed this month.

Copyright © 2013 Wild Birds Unlimited, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Franchise Web Development by The Franchise Builders