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The White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a bird found in United States and Canada. Brushy fields, meadows and gardens across North America. It eats seeds and nuts, insects and other small invertebrates and fruit. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

🏡 Where the White-crowned sparrow lives

Brushy fields, meadows and gardens across North America.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🌰 Seeds & nuts70%
• 🐛 Insects & bugs10%
• 🍎 Fruit10%
• 🌿 Leaves & plants10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the White-crowned sparrow

Recorded by Don Profota (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC1183609. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the White-crowned sparrow

Where does the White-crowned sparrow live?

The White-crowned sparrow lives in United States and Canada. Brushy fields, meadows and gardens across North America.

What does the White-crowned sparrow eat?

seeds and nuts (about 70%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%), fruit (about 10%), leaves and other plant parts (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the White-crowned sparrow endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from North America

• Harris's hawk
• Western meadowlark
• White-necked jacobin
• American white ibis
• Cliff swallow
• American tree sparrow

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.