WhenToBird

Zonotrichia leucophrys · Passerellidae

White-crowned Sparrow: When and Where to See It

Adult White-crowned Sparrow
Photo: Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The White-crowned Sparrow reaches Minnesota first, around early September, and Mississippi last, around late October.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%5%10%15%20%Jan 1-7: 9.8% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 10% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 10% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 9.8% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 9.1% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 8.9% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 8.4% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 8.8% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 8.5% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 8.2% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 8.6% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 8.8% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 9.0% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 8.6% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 8.5% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 8.2% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 10% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 9.7% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 5.8% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.3% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.9% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.0% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.4% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.4% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.4% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 3.1% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.5% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.0% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.8% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.7% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.9% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.6% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 3.7% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 5.9% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 10% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 13% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 15% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 16% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 15% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 12% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 12% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 12% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 12% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 11% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 11% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 11% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 11% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
WashingtonAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 22-30May 15-2141%
OregonAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 15-21May 1-733%
MontanaSummer visitorApr 15-21Sep 22-30Oct 22-3126%
AlaskaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 22-31Sep 1-725%
North DakotaPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14Jun 1-717%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-3113%
MinnesotaPasses throughSep 1-7Oct 8-14Feb 15-219.9%
New HampshirePasses throughSep 8-14Oct 8-14Nov 22-308.9%
MainePasses throughSep 8-14Oct 8-14Jan 22-316.3%
IllinoisSummer visitorSep 15-21May 8-14May 22-3124%
VermontPasses throughSep 15-21Oct 8-14Jan 15-2110%
New YorkPasses throughSep 15-21Oct 15-21May 22-318.0%
MassachusettsPasses throughSep 15-21Oct 15-21Mar 1-75.2%
ColoradoAll year, most in fallSep 22-30Oct 8-14Nov 15-2131%
IndianaSummer visitorSep 22-30May 1-7May 15-2113%
ConnecticutPasses throughSep 22-30Oct 15-21Nov 1-77.6%
New JerseyPasses throughSep 22-30Oct 15-21May 15-216.6%
District of ColumbiaPasses throughSep 22-30Oct 15-21Dec 15-213.7%
Rhode IslandPasses throughSep 22-30Oct 15-21Nov 1-74.9%
MissouriSummer visitorOct 1-7May 1-7May 8-1413%
OklahomaSummer visitorOct 1-7Apr 22-30May 8-1415%
TexasWinter visitorOct 1-7Dec 1-7May 1-710%
KentuckyWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 8-14May 1-78.5%
PennsylvaniaWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 15-21May 15-215.3%
West VirginiaWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 22-31May 8-145.9%
DelawareWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 22-31May 8-142.9%
MarylandWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 22-31May 8-144.7%
ArkansasWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7May 8-148.8%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7May 1-75.0%
VirginiaWinter visitorOct 8-14Oct 22-31May 1-74.0%
North CarolinaWinter visitorOct 8-14Oct 22-31Apr 22-302.1%
South CarolinaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 1-71.1%
AlabamaWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 22-301.8%
GeorgiaWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 1-7Apr 15-211.0%
LouisianaWinter visitorOct 22-31Dec 8-14May 1-72.9%
MississippiWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Mar 1-71.6%
WyomingWinter visitorApr 8-14Oct 1-7Oct 22-3124%
NevadaWinter visitorSep 1-7Oct 15-21Apr 22-3057%
ArizonaWinter visitorSep 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 22-3044%
New MexicoWinter visitorSep 8-14Nov 1-7May 8-1442%
IdahoAll year, most in fallSep 8-14Sep 22-30Dec 1-734%
MichiganWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 8-14Feb 22-2818%
NebraskaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 15-21May 15-2116%
WisconsinWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 8-14Mar 8-1417%
CaliforniaAll year, most in winterSep 22-30Oct 22-31Apr 8-1454%
KansasWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31May 8-1416%
IowaWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 15-21May 22-3113%
OhioWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 15-21May 22-3113%
UtahYear-round–Oct 8-14–32%

Winter visitor in: Kentucky, Wyoming

Passes through: Washington, Oregon, North Dakota

Summer visitor in: Alaska, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana