Birds
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca · also called fox sparrows
In a shrubby eastern woodland, a fox sparrow scratches through fallen leaves with both feet at once, its rich reddish-brown plumage giving the species its name, even though a fox sparrow spotted farther west might show barely a hint of that same colour.
Overview
The fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca, is a large, robust songbird native to forest and shrubby habitat across a broad range of Canada and the northern and western United States, wintering farther south across much of the rest of the country. Its extreme regional variation in colour and pattern, distinctive double-footed foraging technique, and rich, musical song make it one of the more geographically and behaviourally interesting sparrows in North America.
One species, many looks
The fox sparrow’s colour varies so much from one region to another that comparing an eastern bird to a western one can feel like comparing two entirely different species, united mainly by shared behaviour rather than a single consistent appearance.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable forest and shrubby habitat throughout its breeding and wintering range.
Fox Sparrow: common questions
Why does the fox sparrow look so different depending on where you see it?
This species shows extreme regional variation in colour and pattern, with eastern populations displaying a rich reddish-brown colouration while many western populations appear much greyer or darker, a level of variation across regional forms unusual enough that some populations have historically been considered separate species.
Why is it called the fox sparrow?
This species takes its common name from the reddish-brown colouration displayed by its eastern populations, a colour reminiscent of a red fox's coat, even though this naming reflects only some regional forms, since many western populations show considerably less red in their overall colouration.
How does the fox sparrow forage?
This species forages by hopping forward and then scratching backward through leaf litter with both feet at the same time, a technique that quickly clears away ground debris to reveal seeds and insects underneath, a foraging style shared with a small number of other ground-foraging sparrows and towhees.
What does the fox sparrow's song sound like?
A male of this species delivers a rich, musical song widely considered one of the more melodic among North American sparrows, though the specific pattern and complexity of the song varies noticeably between the species' different regional populations.