{"id":6405,"date":"2012-10-22T05:23:47","date_gmt":"2012-10-22T11:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=6405"},"modified":"2025-07-25T13:24:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T18:24:47","slug":"juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow-in-early-morning-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/22\/juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow-in-early-morning-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow In Early Morning Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"White-crownedWhite-crowned Sparrow juvenile on a dead sagebrush – Nikon D300, f5.6, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Although White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys<\/em>) are year round residents in Utah I see far more of them in the fall, winter and early spring and because it is cold they also are “stickier” and allow closer approaches. They breed at higher elevations in the mountain ranges of Utah.<\/p>\n

This juvenile White-crowned Sparrow was perched along a road on Antelope Island State Park on a shrub that was leafless with dried stems of Black Mustard in the background last winter. I like the seed stuck on its bill and how the sparrows head is cocked sideways.<\/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":"

Although White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are year round residents in Utah I see far more of them in the fall, winter and early spring and because it is cold they also are “stickier” and allow closer approaches. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150870,"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":[511,1022,26,356],"tags":[4067,4071,4104,4057,855,4195,4327,4193,4256],"class_list":["post-6405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","category-white-crowned-sparrows","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-perched","tag-sagebrush","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\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1935.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1Fj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4581,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/03\/juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":6405,"position":0},"title":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday while I was out photographing on Antelope Island State Park I came across a small flock of White-crowned Sparrows right next to the road.","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":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5937.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-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5937.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5937.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5937.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3922,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/12\/30\/juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":6405,"position":1},"title":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow ~ Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 30, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"White-crowned Sparrows can be seen foraging in the grasses, rabbitbrush and sagebrush that grow along the edge of the road.","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":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow perched in frost-covered Rabbitbrush near the causeway to Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.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-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week I was able to photograph a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow up close while it fed on sagebrush seeds on Antelope Island State Park.","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":"White-crowned Sparrow juvenile on sagebrush, Antelope Island State Park, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2786.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-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2786.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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