Red Fox Sparrow

Описание: The Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca), often simply called the “red” form of the Fox Sparrow, is the most brightly colored and widely recognized subgroup within the larger Fox Sparrow complex. This bird is known for its rich, foxy‑red plumage, especially on the wings, tail, and streaked breast. It belongs to the Passerella iliaca species but represents a distinct iliaca group—a lineage long suspected to be evolutionarily separate due to its unique morphology, a conclusion supported by mitochondrial DNA studies.

Red Fox Sparrows breed primarily across the boreal and taiga regions of North America, from Alaska across northern Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador. During migration, they move through the Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Atlantic states, eventually wintering in the eastern and southeastern United States. Their preferred habitats include spruce‑fir forests, willow and alder thickets, bog edges, and dense shrubby areas—especially in winter, when they often forage in leaf litter for insects and seeds.

These sparrows are known for their shy, ground‑foraging behavior, often kicking up leaves with both feet to uncover food. While Fox Sparrows as a whole are highly variable—ranging from red to slate‑colored to sooty forms—the Red Fox Sparrow stands out as the most vibrantly colored and widespread of the four major groups. Birders often encounter them during migration or winter, when they appear in backyard thickets and brushy edges.


Sources

• Wikipedia – Red Fox Sparrow Wikipedia
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Fox Sparrow Overview All About Birds
• Animalia.bio – Red Fox Sparrow Facts Animalia
• Bird Species Profile – Red Fox Sparrow Distribution & Traits featherscan.com
• Audubon – The Fox Sparrow Audubon


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