The White-crowned Sparrow is a North American sparrow recognized by the adult's black-and-white head. It occurs across much of the United States in winter.
Adults have a black-and-white head, a pale bill, and a gray breast.
Researchers studied genes, body size, and habitat in three subspecies of the widely distributed White-crowned Sparrow. They sampled 328 adults from 15 populations and compared genetic patterns with elevation and ecosystem type. The study asked how landscape and habitat relate to connections among populations.
Genetic differences generally increased with distance between sampling sites. At a local scale, birds from coniferous and deciduous ecosystems formed different groupings. Birds sampled in deciduous ecosystems were also larger than birds sampled in coniferous ecosystems. Habitat differences were associated with local patterns even in this mobile songbird.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Habitat differences can shape connections among populations of a mobile bird. Protecting both coniferous forest and riparian deciduous forest, and checking how habitat continues between sites, can help guide plans for White-crowned Sparrow habitat.