The Red (Taiga) Fox Sparrow is the most brightly colored Fox Sparrow that winters in Oklahoma.
It comes to the southern Great Plains area around October to mid-November and stays until early April, when it goes back north for breeding purposes. It is widespread locally over the entire state except the Panhandle, which is lacking in brush and trees.
Associates of many other wintering sparrows, they are also ground foragers, as backward scratchers within leaf litter seeking insects, fruit, and seeds, similar to towhee behavior.
This large sparrow is the most prolific of all of the Fox Sparrows with the largest swath of migratory and breeding range, especially in the Boreal Forest. Depending upon the races or forms, their coloration can vary from foxy red to dark brown to gray.
Red (Taiga) Fox Sparrow
Boomer Creek Park, 2015
Out of the breeding zone, these are generally solitary birds, occasionally in small groups. Their distribution has changed somewhat due to human proclivities involving logging and both natural and set fire regimes. Both of these create a heavy understory, which this bird finds very appealing.
This stocky sparrow is larger than the Song Sparrow and more brightly colored. Sometimes confused with the Hermit Thrush, it has a much different GISS (general impression, shape, and size) and coloration will not change with the season.
It is a long- to short-distance migrant, whereby the Alaskan population may go as far southeast as Florida. The Sierra Nevada subspecies is an altitudinal migrater, and the remainder are more of a short distance mover.
As can be seen thus far in the winter bird profiles on sparrows, this will be another easy sparrow to identify.
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