Because of their sometimes “plain” appearance, sparrows are often overlooked and underappreciated as “little brown birds.” And while the moniker loosely fits, some species, including white-throated and white-crowned sparrows, have contrasting head patterns or other subtle yet identifying features.

Despite their similarities, these sparrows can be differentiated by the presence or absence of a yellow patch of feathers between the eyes and bill. White-throated sparrows have the yellow feathers, or lores, along with a distinct white throat edged in black feathers and gray bill. White-crowned sparrows lack the yellow lores, do not have a distinct throat patch, and have yellowish bills.