Fox Sparrow
(Passerella iliaca)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRN - Unranked Nonbreeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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This sometimes heard but rarely seen bird has heavy, reddish-brown streaks on the breast in addition to a central breast spot. The wings, rump, and tail are reddish-brown. The crown and the nape of the neck are gray. |
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Size |
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6½″ to 7″in length 10½″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Breeding: Not in Minnesota Migration: Thickets near streams and rivers, brushy woodland openings and edges |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Mid-March to late May and early September to mid-October |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Insects and other invertebrates, seeds, fruits, and plant buds |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Passerellidae (New World sparrows) | ||
Genus |
Passerella (fox sparrows) | ||
New World sparrows were traditionally combined with buntings into the family Emberizidae. Recent phylogenetic analysis (Barker et al. 2013) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis (Klicka et al. 2014) found that the Old World buntings should be separated as a sister to New World sparrows. New World sparrows have been separated into a new family, Passerellidae. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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There are 18 subspecies of Fox Sparrow currently recognized. The American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) organizes these into a single species. Under this classification scheme, the species is organized into four subspecies groups. The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) elevates these groups to species level. Beginning with the 6th edition in 1984 the AOU Checklist lists no subspecies of any birds. |
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Red Fox Sparrow Group Eastern Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca) Yukon Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca zaboria)
Slate-colored Fox Sparrow Group Alberta Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca altivagans) Interior Slate-colored Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca schistacea) Inyo Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca canescens) Utah Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca swarthi) Washington Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca olivacea)
Sooty Fox Sparrow Group Aleutian Sooty Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis) Chilkat Sooty Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca chilcatensis) Kodiac Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca insularis) Salish Sooty Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca fuliginosa) Townsend’s Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca townsendi) Valdez Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca sinuosa) Yakutat Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca annectens)
Thick-billed Fox Sparrow Group Mono Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca monoensis) Northern Thick-billed Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca megarhyncha) Stephens’s Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca stephensi) Trinity Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca brevicauda) Warner Mountains Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca fulva) Yosemite Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca mariposae) |
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Synonyms |
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Fringilla iliaca Zonotrichia iliaca |
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Visitor Photos |
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Laurie Wachholz |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Fox Sparrow Allen Chartier |
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| Fox Sparrow Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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| Red Fox Sparrow JMC Nature Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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Other Videos |
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| Fox Sparrow (Red Morph) in Maine WIld Bird Video Productions |
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About
Published on Jun 15, 2012 While a fairly common bird feeder visitor during the fall and early winter, fox sparrows can be extremely difficult to film on their boreal breeding grounds. They tend to stay buried in thick balsam fir or spruce trees but will come out to the open to sing. They have a very hearty and loud song. © 2012 Garth McElroy License at http://www.paya.com/videos/141100 |
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| Fox Sparrow Birdchick |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 23, 2008 Fox sparrow digging through empty sunflower seed shells under a bird feeding station looking for food. Though this kicking action is a normal way for this bird to find food, it is a good reminder to keep your bird feeding station clean. |
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| Fox Sparrow singing Alvan Buckley |
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About
Published on Apr 9, 2013 This Fox Sparrow was a recent migrant in Waterloo, Ontario. I recorded this video with a Swarovski ATM 80HD + Canon s95. American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, and Black-capped Chickadees are all singing in the background! |
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| Eastern Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca), Transylvania County, NC colong7034 |
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About
Published on Feb 24, 2013 Eastern Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca), Transylvania County, NC |
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| Fox Sparrow eBirdr Channel |
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About
Published on Sep 18, 2013 This sparrow is fairly common throughout North America in dense brush in coniferous or mixed woodlands, chaparral. It is a large sparrow and highly variable. Some western mountain birds have gray heads and back. Some birds have big thick bills. Most birds have a bright rufous rump and tail that is conspicuous when it flies. It is heavy streaked on sides and breast. This streaking converges into a central breast spot. Like a Towhee it scratches noisily on the ground. The song is a brilliant assortment of clear notes and whistles. This footage was captured south of St. John's Newfoundland in June 2013. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| Janene Roessler 11/20 to 11/23/2022 |
Location: 3 miles north of Preston, in Fillmore County |
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| Jimbo 4/15/2022 |
Location: Bagley, Mn foraging near barberry bushes |
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| Lynn Maalis 10/9/2021 |
Location: Deerwood Mn. East of Deerwood Minnesota along the Cedarbrook, on the edge of old farmstead gravel driveway near woods. |
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| Susan 10/25-26/2020 |
Location: Shoreview Mn Eating dried mealworms at bottom of feeder by pine tree, along with Junco’s. Bluebirds sit mostly on feeder. |
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| Jeff W 4/16/2019 |
Location: Eagan, MN Saw 1 on the ground under seed feeder |
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| TJ 4/15/2019 |
Location: Andover |
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| Tarene Rood 4/11/2019 |
Location: Crystal, MN seen 2 |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Burnsville, MN |
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