Running through the fresh snow, this White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is the tan-striped morph. Notice the broad eyebrow, behind the eye, is tan, not white.
The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. The two forms are genetically determined, and they persist because individuals usually mate with a bird of the opposite morph. Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes, but both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males.
Photo # K02_3345_00001ac.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.
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