{"id":33866,"date":"2015-12-03T05:13:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T12:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=33866"},"modified":"2024-10-31T06:30:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T11:30:13","slug":"immature-white-crowned-sparrow-close-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/12\/03\/immature-white-crowned-sparrow-close-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Immature White-crowned Sparrow Close Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Immature<\/p>\n

Immature White-crowned Sparrow Close Up – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting close up images of wild birds is always a thrill for me and having this immature White-crowned Sparrow come in close enough for portrait was a pleasure on the last day of November on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

I was photographing other sparrows that were further away using a vehicle as a mobile blind when I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. When I turned my head towards the movement I could see that this first winter White-crowned Sparrow had flown in and was feeding on the fluffy seeds of the snow-topped rabbitbrush.<\/p>\n

The young sparrow was so close that I quickly reach the button on my lens to turn off the limiter so that I could focus on the bird.<\/p>\n

I was able to take three images of this young bird before it flew off, two that were sharp portraits and one was a blur taken just as the sparrow lifted off.<\/p>\n

I really like how the fluffy seed of the rabbitbrush is on the bill of this young sparrow, it almost looks like a snow-white mustache!<\/p>\n

Each and every time, I always feel a sense of awe when I can see and photograph a wild bird up close and I also feel honored that just for a moment they allow me to be a part of their world.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Getting close up images of wild birds is always a thrill for me and having this immature White-crowned Sparrow come in close enough for portrait was a pleasure on the last day of November. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136093,"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":[511,27,26,356],"tags":[4142,2450,4067,4046,855,4195,4327,4193,4256],"class_list":["post-33866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-utah","category-white-crowned-sparrows","tag-close-up","tag-first-winter","tag-immature","tag-portrait","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-white-crowned-sparrow","tag-young","tag-zonotrichia-leucophrys"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3591.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-8Oe","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38227,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/13\/molting-immature-white-crowned-sparrows\/","url_meta":{"origin":33866,"position":0},"title":"Molting Immature White-crowned Sparrows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"April in northern Utah is a good time to see and photograph molting immature White-crowned Sparrows.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Molting immature White-crowned Sparrow side view, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-molt-side-view-mia-mcpherson-4488.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-molt-side-view-mia-mcpherson-4488.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature White-crowned Sparrow molting in Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Bottomland Hardwood Forest","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Late last week, while driving through a forested area of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I was delighted to photograph an immature White-crowned Sparrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature White-crowned Sparrow at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-4424.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-4424.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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