Each fall, golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) make their way to the Bay Area as they migrate south to their wintering grounds along the Pacific flyway. These birds are large sparrows with a distinctive golden patch on top of their heads. A close relatives of the white-crowned sparrow, which can also be found in the Bay Area, the golden-crowned sparrow's winter diet in the Bay Area includes seeds, berries, flowers and buds. This species is an important destroyer of weed seeds, as it feeds on the seeds of invasive bromes, ryegrasses, fescues and more.
Though you may have never seen a golden-crowned sparrow, you've likely heard one! By fall, most of the local nesting birds have fallen silent, their songs ending as their breeding season comes to a close. But the golden-crowned sparrow continues to sing through the winter, and their songs stand out in the quieter soundscape of the winter months. Their song is a distinctive four-note whistle that descends in pitch. It is often described as sounding like the birds are saying "oh-dear-me" or "I'm-so-weary" as they sing.
Studies have shown that when these birds fly back to the Bay Area, they will often return to roost in the same area that they roosted the previous winter. Sometimes they even return to the exact same bush! So the bird that you heard singing last year, may in fact be the exact same bird that you hear singing this year.
