Similar Species
Song Sparrow
Adult/immature
Song Sparrows are smaller than Fox Sparrows and have grayish instead of yellowish bills. Song Sparrows have coarse breast streaks whereas Fox Sparrows have heavy chevron-shaped spots that coalesce into blotches.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryVermont, May 22, 2017Similar Species
Song Sparrow
Adult/immature
Song Sparrows and Fox Sparrows both vary extensively across their range. Song Sparrows have a grayish bill, a stripe through the eye, and coarse streaks instead of spots on the breast.
© Steven Mlodinow | Macaulay LibraryWashington, December 28, 2010Similar Species
Savannah Sparrow
Adult (Savannah)
Savannah Sparrows are smaller than Fox Sparrows and have smaller bills and shorter tails. They are more finely streaked and usually have yellow above the eye.
© Kirk Swenson | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 11, 2016Main Species
Fox Sparrow
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.
© Joshua Rudolph | Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 04, 2017Adult (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, 2007Adult (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.
© Dave Beeke | Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, July 24, 2017Adult (Sooty)
Large, chunky sparrow with gray-and-yellow bill. All forms of Fox Sparrow are heavily spotted or blotched on the underparts. In the "Sooty" form these spots are dark brown to deep reddish brown.
© Grace Oliver | Macaulay LibraryWashington, October 27, 2015Adult (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.
© John Reynolds | Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, February 12, 2017Adult (Slate-colored)
The "Slate-colored" form shows strong contrast between the flat gray head and back and the reddish brown wings and tail.
© Nigel Voaden | Macaulay LibraryColorado, April 25, 2015Adult (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.
© George Valladares | Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, March 15, 2017Habitat
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, 2017