Species
Fox sparrow
Passerella iliaca
A big, rusty sparrow that scratches in leaves like a small chicken, visiting Georgia in winter.
Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 15 to 19 cm long
- Weight
- About 26 to 49 g
- Habitat
- Thickets and woodland edges in winter
- Diet
- Seeds and insects from leaf litter
- In Georgia
- An uncommon winter visitor
- Voice
- A sharp "smack"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Large; rusty-red and grey; heavy rusty streaks on a white breast
- Told apart from
- Song sparrow, which is smaller and browner
- Told apart from
- Brown thrasher, which is larger with a long tail and long bill
- Where to look
- Thickets and under feeders in winter
Behaviour
Fox sparrows scratch in leaf litter with both feet together, hopping backwards to uncover seeds and insects.
Why they matter
Fox sparrows eat many seeds and insects hidden in leaf litter, and they show why leaving leaves on the ground helps wildlife.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A cup on the ground or in a shrub
Eggs — Usually two to five
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Leaving fallen leaves under shrubs gives them food in winter.
Misconceptions
- Birds scratching in leaves are thrashers. It may be a fox sparrow.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Wintering | Wintering | Leaving | Nesting farther north | Nesting | Chicks | Young fledging | Present in the north | Migrating | Migrating | Arriving | Wintering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 61 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Alaskabreeding
- Arkansasin winter
- California
- Coloradobreeding
- Connecticutin winter
- Delawarein winter
- District of Columbiain winter
- Georgiain winter
- Idahobreeding
- Illinoisin winter
- Indianain winter
- Iowain winter
- Kansasin winter
- Kentuckyin winter
- Louisianain winter
- Maine
- Marylandin winter
- Massachusettsin winter
- Michiganin winter
- Minnesotain winter
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouriin winter
- Montanabreeding
- Nebraskain winter
- Nevadabreeding
- New Hampshire
- New Jerseyin winter
- New Yorkin winter
- North Carolinain winter
- North Dakotain winter
- Ohioin winter
- Oklahomain winter
- Oregonin winter
- Pennsylvaniain winter
- Rhode Islandin winter
- South Carolinain winter
- South Dakotain winter
- Tennesseein winter
- Texasin winter
- Utahbreeding
- Vermontpassing through
- Virginiain winter
- Washingtonin winter
- West Virginiain winter
- Wisconsinin winter
- Wyomingbreeding
Canada
Mexico
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
I found an animal