Fox Sparrow Photo Gallery
Adult (Red)
Large, chunky sparrow with a rounded head. Plumage varies; eastern form is rich reddish brown with coarse, blurry streaks. Face is gray; bill is black and yellow.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, February 11, 2017Adult (Sooty)
Large, chunky sparrow with rounded head. The "Sooty" form lives along the Pacific Coast. Upperparts are dark brown; face is grayish; bill is gray and yellow.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 16, 2020Adult (Red)
Males sing a sequence of about a dozen rich, whistled notes lasting 2–3 seconds in all. During summer they sing vigorously at any time from before dawn until after dark.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 09, 2007Not all videos have soundAdult (Thick-billed)
Large sparrow with very thick bill. The "Thick-billed" form 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.
© Scott McCusker / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 10, 2017Adult (Slate-colored)
Large, chunky sparrow. Head and back are gray; wings and tail are bright rufous. The "Slate-colored" form breeds in interior western North America and winters mainly along the Pacific Coast.
© Darren Clark / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, April 15, 2019Adult (Red)
Forages on leaf litter and bare ground, using sturdy legs to kick away leaves in search of insects and seeds.
© Sam Zhang / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 26, 2023Not all videos have soundAdult (Red)
Most Fox Sparrows have yellowish bills with gray tinges to the upper mandible. The "Red" form has a mostly gray face with variable reddish brown on the cheek.
© Fyn Kynd / Macaulay LibraryNew York, October 27, 2020Adult (Red)
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.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 03, 2017Adult (Sooty)
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.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryWashington, November 05, 2018Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
New World Sparrows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Passerellidae)
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