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  Profile

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  In flight

Songbirds

Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliaca

• epic
• 90 km/h
• Least Concern

The big rusty one that kicks through leaf litter like it's looking for a fight. Finds your message in the process.

Population

~35 million (global breeding population, Partners in Flight)

Habitat

Dense thickets, brushy woodland edges, and streamside/riparian tangles; also chaparral and shrubby regrowth from logging or fire in western regions

Fun fact

The Fox Sparrow is one of North America's most variable songbirds, split into four distinct color groups (Red, Sooty, Slate-colored, and Thick-billed/Large-billed) that differ so much in plumage they were once considered separate species.

Range

Breeds across Alaska, Canada, and western mountain forests of the US; winters across the eastern and southern US and the southern Pacific Coast, with some populations resident year-round

Diet

Insects, seeds, and berries; forages by double-scratching through leaf litter on the ground; coastal populations also take small crustaceans

Size

0.17 m

Wingspan

0.28 m

Lifespan

10 years