Fall is here, and the voices that tell me so are those of the crowned sparrows. There are two of these birds: the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrow. Both arrive here in September from their ...

Brownish back streaked with dark brown; breast, sides, and flanks grayish brown. Bill dusky above, pale below. Adult: yellow patch tops black crown; less distinct in winter. Immature: less-distinct ...

Birds with bold crown coloring are dominant over those with duller crown colors. Though highly territorial on their summer breeding grounds, golden-crowned sparrows form winter flocks with the same ...

Have you been hearing new birds? Spring and summer are the main seasons for singing birds, but the relative quiet of autumn can make certain sounds stand out as new migrants arrive. In the ...

One of the most common sparrows, the house sparrow has a charming mix of brown, black, and white feathers. Males have a distinctive grey crown, while females are more subtly coloured. This beautiful ...

Alas, it seems the miners of 160 years ago missed out on most of it. The Golden State holds so much more amber wealth and beauty than just the lustrous mineral. Golden hues deck our world liberally, ...

The usual suspects at the home seed feeder don’t change much until autumn arrives and migrant species begin to arrive to escape the chill of northern climates. As I watched the usual gathering of ...