Howdy Eugene,
I wondered about a White-crowned/Golden Crowned hybrid, but the songs seem
so different (see Eugene's post below.) I didn't check the literature
for documentation of hybrids, but the two (or three species if you include
the White-throated) are closely-related enough? and sort of travel in the
same circles. My most direct banding experience have been a few assistant
sessions with Caleb Gorden's projects in SE AZ banding Grasshopper,
Baird's, Savannah, and Vesper Sparrows, a Meadowlark sp or two, and, once
a covey of Scaled Quail. Thanks for the great information.
Cheers,
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu U of WA & Burien-Seahurst Park, WA

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-

"We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities." -Pogo-

On Wed, 26 Jan 2000, Eugene Kridler wrote:

> 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
>
>