Photo credit: Don Freiday, BirdCapeMay.org

by Don Torino

Many years ago, when I first decided to pick up a pair of binoculars and seriously see if I could learn to tell one bird species from another, I found myself walking through a brushy grassy field near my home.  I stopped suddenly when I heard something scratching through the fall leaves.  I was sure it must be a large animal like raccoon, skunk, or maybe even a fox.

I finally got my binoculars on the critter making the noise, and I was surprised to see it was a beautiful rusty gray bird.  It was kicking up the leaves with the energy of any wild turkey looking for breakfast.  When I got to my field guide, I was surprised to learn I was right from the beginning.  It was indeed a fox – a fox sparrow, that is!  It instantly became one of my favorite birds.  

The fox sparrow is among the largest of New Jersey’s sparrows - about 7 inches long.  It has rufous streaking on a gray head and back, with white under-parts that are boldly streaked, and a reddish brown rump, which makes it a stunning bird.  The Sibley Guide to Birds lists four main populations of fox sparrows which are sometimes considered separate species.  We in New Jersey have the red fox sparrow which is the best dressed of all four species (it would have to be, living in New Jersey).

Fox sparrows breed in northern Canada and migrate here in the fall.  Dave Hall, Director of Field Work for Bergen County Audubon Society, tells me, “Our biggest numbers come in October and November and again when they migrate north during March and April.”  Dave added that there was a record from 1933 in Franklin Lakes when over 700 fox sparrows were grounded by bad weather in an early spring storm.

Fox sparrows’ diet consists mainly of seeds, as well as some berries.  I manage to attract them to my backyard consistently each winter by spreading some white proso millet under my shrubs.  Even when there are more than a few inches of snow on the ground, the sparrows manage to use those big feet to dig down to the bare ground to get at the seed. 

Fox sparrows can make a beautiful winter picture with their great colors standing out against the snow.  When out birding, look for the foxes in brushy areas at woods edges.  They can be seen jumping back and forth, scraping away leaves and sticks to get at food on the forest floor.  Their call is described as a series of melodious whistles and as a low rich warble. 

When out birding last winter in the Meadowlands, a small flock of fox sparrows were making a big ruckus around a red cedar.  Their clamor helped me spot a roosting long-eared owl!  Now is the time to get outside and look for one of our most beautiful sparrows.  See you outside!

Don Torino is the Education Chairperson for Bergen County Audubon Society.