Bird guide · Passerella iliaca
Fox Sparrow
What the fox sparrow eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant
- Size
- 7.1 in (18 cm)
- Eats
- millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform
- Most common
- Alaska, Oregon, Washington
Food
What do fox sparrows eat?
At feeders, fox sparrows take millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower.
Scratches on the ground under thickets, jumping forward and kicking back with both feet at once.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do fox sparrows live?
Breeds in the far north and western mountains; many birders know it as a migrant or winter visitor. By share of all bird sightings, fox sparrows are most common in Alaska (0.9%).
States where fox sparrows are most common
- Alaska0.9%
- Oregon0.4%
- Washington0.4%
- California0.2%
- Minnesota0.2%
- Illinois0.2%
- Missouri0.2%
- Oklahoma0.2%
- Wisconsin0.1%
- Kansas0.1%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are fox sparrows, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the fox sparrow migrate?
Migrant. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in November.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are fox sparrows, by month.
Identification
How to identify the fox sparrow
Adults: Large sparrow with heavy triangular spots below; eastern birds foxy-red, western birds grey or sooty brown.
Size: 7.1 in (18 cm)
On camera
Getting the fox sparrow on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Fox Sparrow: questions
What do fox sparrows eat?
At feeders, millet, seed mixes, black oil sunflower.
Do fox sparrows migrate?
Migrant. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in November.
Where do fox sparrows live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California, Minnesota. They are rare or absent in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico.
More birds