Fox Sparrow

More specific information regarding plumage is available in the accounts for the various taxa.

The Fox Sparrow is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) is a large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Passerella, although some authors split the genus into four species (see below). Contents - * 1 Taxonomy * 2 Description * 3 Behavior * 3.1 Diet * 3. More

chaparral, the Fox Sparrow is most familiar as a migrant or wintering bird. Its vigorous "double-scratching," kicking backward in ground litter with both feet to uncover food, often draws attention to its presence under a bird feeder. More

iliaca Red Fox Sparrow is the generally the central and east coast taxa in the genus Passerella. This is the brightest colored group. * P. i. unalaschcensis Sooty Fox Sparrow is the west coast taxa in the genus Passerella. It is browner than the Red Fox Sparrow. * P. i. schistacea Slate-colored Fox Sparrow is the Rocky Mountain taxa in the genus Passerella. More

Red Fox Sparrow is the collective name for the most brightly colored taxa in the American sparrow genus Passerella, the Passerella iliaca iliaca group. Contents - * 1 Taxonomy * 2 Description * 2.1 Vocalization * 3 Behavior * 3. More

Fox sparrow - Dictionary Definition and Overview = Sparrow \Spar"row\, n. rr, Dan. spurv, spurre, Sw. sparf, Goth. sparwa; - originally, probably, the quiverer or flutterer, and akin to E. spurn. See Spurn, and cf. Spavin.] 1. (Zol.) One of many species of small singing birds of the family Fringillig, having conical bills, and feeding chiefly on seeds. Many sparrows are called also finches, and buntings. More

Cool fact: Both the Fox Sparrow's common name and the Latin-specific epithet "iliaca" refer to the "foxy" rufous red color of eastern and northern Fox Sparrows. Fox Sparrows that inhabit the western mountains and Pacific Coast are predominantly gray or dark brown. More

The Fox Sparrow is rated at this time as Least Concern. The rating of this bird was previously Lower Risk. That rating was downgraded to Least Concern in 2004 to reflect the population and the range of the Fox Sparrow. The population of the Fox Sparrow is thought to be around 16 million birds. This bird species is native to North America and the Caribbean. It is also sometimes seen in parts of Europe as well. More

* Page 2: Distribution of Fox Sparrows in Oregon * Page 3: Photos, Sound recordings, ID, and descriptions of Fox Sparrows in Oregon * Page 4: Fox Sparrows in the southern Cascades of Washington The Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) is a widespread migrant, winter visitor, and breeding species across North America, with 16-19 recognized races. More

The attractive, large, plump Fox Sparrow comes in several varieties, the More

Fox Sparrow is a bulky bird, with strong, conical bill with yellow lower mandible, heavily streaked underparts, and no white in slightly notched tail. Fox Sparrow is very variable in coloration of upperparts over its native range. More

The eighteen subspecies of Fox Sparrows are divided into four main groups: Red Fox Sparrow (iliaca) group, Sooty Fox Sparrow (unalaschensis) group, Slate-colored Fox Sparrow (schistacea) group, and Thick-billed Fox Sparrow (megarhyncha) group (Zink and Kessen 1999). All five subspecies of the Thick-billed group (P. i. fulva, P. i. brevicauda, P. i. megarhyncha, P. i. stephensi, and P. i. monoensis) and one subspecies of the Slate-colored group (P. i. canscens) breed in California (Zink and Kessen 1999). More

North American RangeThe Fox Sparrow is a large, chunky sparrow that is highly variable in appearance, depending on geographical region. It is dark and unstreaked on its back, varying from gray-brown, to dark brown, to rufous. The tail is typically redder than the back. The breast is heavily spotted, and the spots are shaped like chevrons that converge in a central spot on the breast. The head is not striped or streaked, the face is plain, and the lower mandible is yellow. More

Bent Life History for the Fox Sparrow - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. FOX SPARROW PASSERELLA ILIACA (Merrem) Contributed by OLIVER L. AUSTIN, JR. HABITS In his classic "Revision of the avian genus Passerella," Harry S. Swarth (1920) brought the first semblance of unity and order to the bewildering array of forms making up the fox sparrow complex. More

Fox Sparrows in our area are a beautiful dark, rusty color. Arriving in the fall, they are continually scratching the ground with their large feet looking for seeds and bugs. Although considered a ground feeder, they fly up to our hanging seed feeders and peanut butter feeders. A beginning birder can often confuse the Fox Sparrow with a Song Sparrow. You can also see these two birds side-by-side in Who's Who. More

The very first fox sparrow I ever saw was back in April 2005. I saw him as a reddish bird flittering in bushes while I was walking in the game land. The advantage of a long telephoto lens is that it can blur out foreground, so I got a somewhat reasonable photo of him. It took ages to identify though. Fox sparrow That was it for fox sparrows and me until mid-November, when one began to show up by the feeders. More

When John James Audubon found a Fox Sparrow for the first time on its breeding grounds in southern Labrador in 1834, he had no idea that he was looking at one of North America’s most geographically variable birds. With 18 subspecies divided into 3 or 4 distinct groups, this species shows extensive variation that has been the focus of 3 intensive monographs on external morphology, skeletal characteristics, and genetics (Swarth 1920, Linsdale 1928a, Zink 1986). Its life-history characteristics also vary greatly across its range. More

camera of a Fox Sparrow kick-scratching, I didn't notice the bird on the ... More

the Fox Sparrow's tone was both louder and more mellow than the others, while his notes were longer, - more sustained, - and his voice was 'carried' from one pitch to another. On the whole, I had no hesitation about giving him the palm; but I am bound to say that his rival was a worthy competitor." The Fox-colored Sparrow is also one of the largest and finest of his tribe, breeding from the Gulf of St. More