Golden-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow has surged: up 12× on the route-weighted index since 1982.
About the Golden-crowned Sparrow
The Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 67 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 2 states, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Forest birds
Notable Golden-crowned Sparrow Trends
No notable trend signals for Golden-crowned Sparrow. See the full index history below.
Golden-crowned Sparrow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Golden-crowned Sparrow is projected to rise about 32% by 2029 — from 0.18 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.24 (95% range 0.13–0.35). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±27.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.23 | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| 2026 | 0.23 | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| 2027 | 0.23 | 0.12 | 0.35 |
| 2028 | 0.24 | 0.13 | 0.35 |
| 2029 | 0.24 | 0.13 | 0.35 |
Where the Golden-crowned Sparrow Is Detected
BBS routes recording Golden-crowned Sparrow, sized by most recent count.
Golden-crowned Sparrow Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +240% | 1982 | 62 |
| Washington | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
Golden-crowned Sparrow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -25% | 1985 | 18 |
| BCR 4 | +4% | 1982 | 29 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +72% | 1984 | 16 |
Golden-crowned Sparrow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1058% since 1982.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.