{"id":15858,"date":"2014-09-19T06:07:43","date_gmt":"2014-09-19T12:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=15858"},"modified":"2025-03-29T03:56:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T08:56:28","slug":"interior-west-white-crowned-sparrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/19\/interior-west-white-crowned-sparrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior West White-crowned Sparrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"InteriorInterior West White-crowned Sparrow perched on Western Serviceberry – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Bird photography isn’t easy and for smaller birds like this adult White-crowned Sparrow it can be challenging and require more patience than when photographing larger birds. I saw this Interior West White-crowned Sparrow fly in to a Western Serviceberry near Red Rock Creek where it was hidden behind the foliage and my hope was that it would pop up on top of the bush and eventually it did.<\/p>\n

\"White-crownedWhite-crowned Sparrow with a Western Serviceberry\u00a0– Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was a bit frustrated that there were out of focus leaves\u00a0on the sides\u00a0of the White-crowned Sparrow that were in the foreground (note the larger size of the leaves) but after reviewing the images on my monitor I decided they added to the image and didn’t detract from the bird. I also liked and appreciated that the sparrow had one of the berries in its bill.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Interior West White-crowned Sparrow\u00a0– Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After eating the berry the White-crowned Sparrow flew to an old fence post near the Serviceberry bush and I was able to get a few images of it there with a dark background caused by the willows being in a shadow. I’m always delighted to photograph smaller birds such as this White-crowned Sparrow.<\/p>\n

There are currently 5\u00a0subspecies of White-crowned Sparrows and this one is an\u00a0Interior West White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha<\/em>)\u00a0which is also sometimes called the Mountain White-crowned Sparrow. We have them here in Utah where they breed in the mountains then\u00a0they migrate\u00a0south to winter in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my White-crowned Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bird photography isn’t easy and for smaller birds like this adult White-crowned Sparrow it can be challenging and require more patience than when photographing larger birds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":142174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,27,223,12,356],"tags":[4004,2666,2668,2669,4195,2667,4327,4256,2665],"class_list":["post-15858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-white-crowned-sparrows","tag-adult","tag-amelanchier-alnifolia","tag-interior-west","tag-saskatoon-serviceberry","tag-sparrows","tag-western-serviceberry","tag-white-crowned-sparrow","tag-zonotrichia-leucophrys","tag-zonotrichia-leucophrys-oriantha"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-crowned-sparrow-perched-mia-mcpherson-8691.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-47M","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25463,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/13\/a-wonderful-photo-session-with-a-white-crowned-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":0},"title":"Wonderful Photo Session with a White-crowned Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday was bright and sunny in the Centennial Valley and after hearing this White-crowned Sparrow singing I felt like breaking out in song too.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing adult White-crowned Sparrow at Red Rock Lakes NWR (Interior West subspecies), Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-singing-mia-mcpherson-1825.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-singing-mia-mcpherson-1825.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-singing-mia-mcpherson-1825.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-singing-mia-mcpherson-1825.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60978,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/23\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-perched-in-a-hackberry-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":1},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow Adult Perched In A Hackberry Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this adult White-crowned Sparrow about two weeks ago in northern Utah while it perched on a hackberry tree on a hill with blooming rabbitbrush in the background.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow in a hackberry tree, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9466,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/09\/14\/white-crowned-sparrow-on-a-rusty-wire-fence\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":2},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow On A Rusty Wire Fence","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In the Centennial Valley of Montana at this time of the year I see plenty of White-crowned Sparrows of the interior west sub-species and although most of them that I see are juveniles there are also adults hanging around foraging too.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow on a wire fence in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County, Montana. Interior West subspecies.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-4767.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-4767.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-4767.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-4767.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":116305,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/27\/interior-west-white-crowned-sparrow-adult\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":3},"title":"Interior West White-crowned Sparrow Adult","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was at Farmington Bay WMA on Monday, I found and photographed a gorgeous Interior West White-crowned Sparrow adult perched on a Greasewood shrub.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Interior West White-crowned Sparrow perched in Greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/white-crowned-sparrow-fall-mia-mcpherson-1941.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/white-crowned-sparrow-fall-mia-mcpherson-1941.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/white-crowned-sparrow-fall-mia-mcpherson-1941.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/white-crowned-sparrow-fall-mia-mcpherson-1941.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143217,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-in-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":4},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow In Spring","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I'm sharing a lingering adult White-crowned Sparrow that I photographed from the deck three days ago. I\u2019d been listening to it sing for several days.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow in spring, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-eastern-taiga-miia-mcpherson-9280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-eastern-taiga-miia-mcpherson-9280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-eastern-taiga-miia-mcpherson-9280.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-eastern-taiga-miia-mcpherson-9280.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":128080,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/05\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-photos-from-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":15858,"position":5},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow Photos From Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't know I would be taking White-crowned Sparrow photos on my visit to Arkansas, but they do overwinter here. Thankfully, they haven't all migrated yet.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow in Arkansas, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-1533.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-1533.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-1533.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-1533.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}