They breed further north and west, so I guess they are just stopping here to eat and rest up a little bit! The White Crowned Sparrow is one of the best studied songbirds in North America. Much of our knowledge of bird song and it's development is based on studies of this species!
There was also a pair of Goldfinches in the back yard. These little birds breed here so we can look forward to seeing them all summer long. The goldfinch is the only member of the finch family that does a complete molt into it's breeding plumage - the rest of the finches only molt once a year in the fall. It is also one of the latest birds to lay it's eggs - waiting until late June / early July.
And, everybody knows the mourning dove...
One of the most widespread and abundant birds in North America.
What I did not know is that it is also one of the most popular game birds and is widely hunted both for sport and for meat! There are up to 70 million of them shot in the US alone every year. They breed prolifically - one pair can have up to 6 broods a year.
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