Red fox sparrow is the collective name for the most brightly colored taxa in the American sparrow genus Passerella, the Passerella iliaca iliaca group.
Region
Boreal North America
Typical Environment
Breeds widely in the boreal and taiga zone from Alaska across much of northern Canada east to Newfoundland and Labrador. During migration it passes through the Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Atlantic states. In winter it is found mainly in the eastern and southeastern United States, reaching the Gulf Coast and sometimes the southern Atlantic seaboard. Habitats include spruce-fir and mixed coniferous forests, willow and alder thickets, bog edges, and brushy forest margins. In winter it favors dense shrubby cover, hedgerows, riparian thickets, and weedy lots.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Continental
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The red fox sparrow is the brightest, most rufous-plumaged group within the fox sparrow complex (Passerella iliaca iliaca group). It breeds across the North American taiga and migrates to the eastern and southeastern United States in winter. On the ground it often uses a distinctive double-scratch to uncover seeds and insects in leaf litter. Taxonomically complex, this group sometimes challenges identification relative to darker sooty or slate-colored fox sparrows.
Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador
Ottawa, Ontario
Temperament
skulking and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Territorial on the breeding grounds, where pairs form in spring and the female builds a cup nest on or near the ground in dense cover. Both adults care for the young. In winter it may join loose mixed-species flocks but often forages singly or in small groups while defending prime feeding patches.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A rich, clear series of whistled phrases delivered with thrush-like quality and strong volume. Calls include a sharp, metallic 'tchink' and soft chips while foraging.
Plumage
Bright rufous upperparts and tail with a gray head and nape; white underparts heavily streaked with bold rufous chevrons that often form a central breast blotch.
Diet
Consumes seeds of grasses and weeds, small fruits and berries, and a wide variety of invertebrates including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. Uses a characteristic double-scratch to expose food in leaf litter. During the breeding season it increases animal prey, feeding insects to nestlings. In winter it relies more on seeds and berries but will still take arthropods when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground under dense shrubs, along forest edges, and in thickets near wetlands and streams. In winter it frequents brushy hedgerows, second-growth woods, and weedy lots, often staying close to heavy cover.
