Fox Sparrow Identification

Large, chunky sparrow with a rounded head and heavy bill. Plumage varies significantly across range. The "Red" subspecies group is rich reddish brown with coarse, blurry streaks below.

Large, chunky sparrow with rounded head. The "Sooty" subspecies group lives along the Pacific Coast. Upperparts are dark brown; face is grayish; bill is gray and yellow.

A large, round-bodied sparrow with a stout bill. Males sing a sequence of about a dozen rich, whistled notes lasting 2–3 seconds in all.

Large sparrow with very thick bill. The "Thick-billed" subspecies group lives mainly in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains of California and Oregon. Slate gray head and back with brown wings and tail; heavily spotted underparts.

Large, chunky sparrow. Head and back are gray; wings and tail are bright rufous. The "Slate-colored" subspecies group breeds in interior western North America and winters mainly along the Pacific Coast.

“Red” Fox Sparrow is rusty above with some pale gray on the head and rufous splotches on the underparts.

Juveniles are similar in plumage to adults, but generally duller overall. Large size and heavy bill are helpful in distinguishing from other sparrows.

Most Fox Sparrows have yellowish bills with gray tinges to the upper mandible. The "Red" subspecies group has a mostly gray face with variable reddish brown on the cheek.

Forages on leaf litter and bare ground, using sturdy legs to kick away leaves in search of insects and seeds.

Found on or near the ground in thickets, overgrown fields, spruce-tamarack bogs, woodland edges, willow and alder tangles, chaparral, manzanita, and other dense brushy areas.

Some "Sooty" Fox Sparrows are a more flat gray brown without the reddish tones. The heavy spots (often chevron shaped) coalesce into larger patches on the breast.

The "Slate-colored" subspecies group has a gray head, reddish wings and tail, and black spotting on white underparts.

The "Thick-billed" subspecies group has a massive bill, grayish head and back, reddish-brown wings and tail, and heavy dark spotting on white underparts.

Males often sing from high perches. Songs and calls vary geographically.