Maureen:

On Oct. 7, 1998 I banded an immature (HY first year bird) Golden-crowned
Sparrow. On January 17, 2000 I retrapped it, but the foward 1/3 of the
head had a adult (AHY after the beginning of a new year) dead - golden
color with heavy black eyebrows. But the rest of the head had adult
black and white (AHY after the first year) stripes of an adult
White-crowned.

Weight and wing measurement this was almost identical when banded and
retrapped. 33.5 grams and 80 mm. I've only banded 1,337 Golden-crowns
and 1,555 White-crowns through recent years. So I know both species
well. Incidentally up until about almost two months after hatching, you
White-crowns have fine streaking on the breast, and after that
unstreaked breasts. The National Geo book illustration has the
streakings much too heavy. Also, quite a few bird books show the
immature with a clear breast. One of the interesting surprises about
banding.

So, Maureen, I don't think the little bit of white on the nape of your
bird probably was not caused by injury or partial albinsm. Either an
ambitious male White-crown was up to hanky panky when breeding, or a
Golden-crown female strayed and took up with the White-crown.

Aloha,

Gene Kridler
The Cranky Real Olde Retired Biologist
ekridler at olympus.net
Sequim