Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Golden-Crowned Sparrows forage on the ground in loose flocks through coastal scrub, brushy gardens, and forest edges along the Pacific coast of North America, often mixing with other sparrow species at feeders and brush piles in winter. Their mournful, descending whistled song, sometimes rendered as sounding like "oh dear me," is a distinctive and easy way to locate them even in dense cover. Winter through early spring, before they depart for Alaskan and Yukon breeding grounds, is the best time to see them in gardens and parks along the coast.