Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliacaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: FOSP Scientific Name: PASILI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179464

Head

Topo Map: Perching-like Head

Bill Shape: Cone
Eye Color: Dark brown to red-brown in all ages and sexes.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Plain, Streaked, Malar or malar stripe
Crown Color: Gray with red-brown stripes.
Forehead Color: Gray with red-brown stripes.
Nape Color: Gray with red-brown stripes.
Throat Color: White
Cere color: No Data

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Body

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Length Range: 17-19 cm (6.75-7.5 in)
Weight: 31 g (1.1 oz)
Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
Color: White, Brown, Gray, Rufous or Rust
Underparts: Buff with triangular spots.
Upperparts: Red-brown with streaking.
Back Pattern: Striped or streaked, Solid
Belly Pattern: Spotted or speckled, Solid
Breast Pattern: Spotted or speckled

Flight

Topo Map: Perching-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Short flights wih rapid wing beats.
Wingspan Range: 27-30 cm (10.5-11.75 in)
Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
Tail Shape: Fan-shaped Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Red-brown
Under Tail: Red-brown
Leg Color: Pink-brown

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Fox Sparrow

Fox Sparrow: Large sparrow, varies from dark or gray-brown in the west, rufous in the east; upperparts may be so dark that back pattern is hard to see. Heavily streaked upperparts, converging at midbreast into a large, dark spot. Rust-brown tail. Bill has dark upper mandible, yellow lower mandible.

● Song: "churrs", "chink"

● Foraging & Feeding: Fox Sparrow: Diet consists of seeds, fruits, berries, insects, spiders, millipedes, and small snails. Forages by double-scratching on the ground and digging small holes by kicking backwards with claws and feet.

● Breeding & nesting: Fox Sparrow: Two to five pale green eggs, marked with red brown, are laid in a thick-walled cup of leaves, grass, and moss, and concealed in vegetation on or near the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Fox Sparrow: Hermit Thrush has a red-brown tail, slender bill, and lacks streaks on back and large central breast spot.

Flight Pattern

Short flights wih rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Fox Sparrow: Breeds from the Aleutians and mainland Alaska east to northern Quebec and Maritimes, and south to southern California and Colorado. Preferred habitats include thickets and edges of coniferous, mixed, or second-growth forests or chaparral.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationUncommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1.1 Ounces

Perching-like Head

Perching-like Body

Perching-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Fox Sparrow

Head

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Body

Flight

Fox Sparrow

Flight Pattern