This sparrow shows extreme variation across its range. In all plumages, note the bulky build, streaks on the breast and sides formed by rows of triangles or chevrons. While up to 18 subspecies have been described, these fit into four main subspecies groups. Some consider these four subspecies groups to be separate species.

Red Fox Sparrow: Upperparts reddish-brown with gray streaks on the back, and two small whitish wing bars. The face is mostly gray with contrasting rufous crown and auriculars. Underparts whitish with rufous streaks on flanks and breast, sometimes coalescing into a central spot. Appears shorter-tailed than other subspecies.

Slate-colored Fox Sparrow: Upperparts are mostly unmarked brownish gray on the head and back, with contrasting reddish brown on the wings and tail. May show very narrow pale wing bars. Underparts are streaked dark brown, reddish-brown in some populations.

Thick-billed Fox Sparrow: Plumage nearly identical to Slate-colored Fox Sparrow, but with finer dark streaking on breast. The bill is massive and grayish horn color.

Sooty Fox Sparrow: Upperparts are a uniform dark reddish brown to chocolate brown. Underparts are very heavily spotted and streaked. Spotting on the breast is so thick it sometimes gives the bird a hooded appearance. Shows varying amount of gray in the face. Does not show wing bars. Birds in this group can be highly variable in appearance depending on lighting. Some may appear to be very reddish overall (in bright light), or they may be very cold sooty brown in low light.

Bill color is more variable than most field guides suggest and it appears that birds of all groups show some yellow on the bill during the non-breeding season and then transition to having uniform grayish or pinkish-gray horn colored bills on the breeding grounds. Red, Slate-colored, and Sooty Fox Sparrows are typically shown with dark horn-colored upper mandibles and varying amounts of yellow on the lower mandible. Sooty Fox Sparrows are most consistent in showing bright corn-yellow lower mandibles. Red Fox Sparrows may show similarly conspicuous yellow lower mandibles, but some birds (see our photo galleries) have uniform horn-colored bills with no apparent yellow. Slate-colored Fox Sparrows usually show some yellow in the basal half of the lower mandible, but overall their bills are mostly horn-colored. Thick-billed Fox Sparrows are generally depicted with heavy grayish horn-colored bills that have no yellow on the lower mandible, likely due to the fact that they are more often seen on their southerly and more accessible breeding grounds.

Length: 15 (cm) Wingspan: 27 (cm)

Voice:

Song is a widely variable series of whistled notes and warbles. Red Fox Sparrow sings clear notes, other subspecies' songs interspersed with buzzes and trills.

Habitat:

Brushy thickets, old fields, chaparral.

Behavior:

Fond of heavy cover, often scratches on the ground when foraging.

Feeding:

Forages on or near the ground for insects, seeds, fruit.