Fox Sparrow Identification

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.

Adult (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.

Adult (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.

Adult (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.

Adult (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.

Adult (Red)

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

Juvenile (Sooty)

Adult (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.

Adult (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.

Adult (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.

Adult (Slate-colored)

Adult (Thick-billed)

Adult (Thick-billed)