Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
Fox Sparrows live in many parts of North America including inland areas, but the Sooty (Pacific) subspecies shown here restricts itself to the Pacific Coast, not venturing very far from the actual coast. This subspecies breeds in the northern half of the coastal area. Some of them do not migrate very far from their breeding grounds, but others may migrate over a thousand miles. This dispersion is probably explained by the availability of its food supply. Those that we see in the Bay Area are not breeding here; they arrive each fall and depart in the spring. The Fox Sparrow can often be seen scratching the ground for seeds, similar to California Towhees. It likes brushy areas for its habitat. Its breast is sometimes described as heavily spotted; a close look at the photographs shows that the "spots" are triangular. The photo on the left (taken November 11, 2018) shows the reddish tail contrasting with the darker brown of the body. The photo on the right (taken October 15, 2017) shows one snacking on a berry. Both photographs were taken in Tilden Regional Park, CA. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)