Thanks, Dave, I appreciate the help. I have a clearer picture now of what
constitutes a true Red Fox Sparrow.
Joe
On Feb 6, 2017, at 11:07 PM, David Irons <LLSDIRONS@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Joe,
First I need to apologize for not replying to your private request for
comments on this bird. We just moved into our new house this past Thursday.
For several weeks before that almost every waking moment not spent at work
was devoted to packing, working on some pre-move projects at the house and
generally letting stuff like this slip through the cracks.
Your bird is interesting in terms of the amount of gray in the face and
fairly well demarcated reddish lateral crown stripes. That said, this bird is
not a pure "Red" Fox Sparrow. The true Red Fox Sparrows include two
subspecies (iliaca and zaboria) that are, according to Robert Zink and James
Rising, essentially indistinguishable from one another in the field. Some
sources consider the subspecies (if it truly is one) altivagans to be a Red
Fox Sparrow as well, while others place it in the Slate-colored group, and
still others consider it to be a Red X Sooty intergrade.
True Red Fox Sparrows differ from your bird in several key aspects.
1. They have gray rumps and gray streaking on the mantle. We can't see the
rump of your bird, but since it shows no gray streaking on the mantle, I am
presuming it wasn't gray on the rump either.
2. They have weak but noticeable pale wing bars, which are clearly absent on
your bird.
3. The base color of the flanks is pale whitish buffy-white with
reddish-brown streaks and spots. Your bird shows a solid dark dusky-brown
wash down the flanks with no real noticeable streaking, which is a decidedly
Sooty characteristic.
4. While the face of your bird is pretty gray, it doesn't show a strongly
contrasting reddish-brown auricular patch, which is typical of the true Reds.
I think this bird is mostly, if not totally a Sooty. There are a number of
subspecies that comprise the Sooty group. Outer coastal breeding populations
tend to be darker, duskier, and more chocolate-brown above, whereas some of
the more interior breeding populations can show quite a bit of reddish tone
in the plumage depending on the light. Little is known about how much Red and
Sooty Fox Sparrows come into contact during the breeding range, but it seems
pretty apparent that there is some contact and interbreeding, as we get birds
that seem intermediate in appearance. Your bird has some characteristics that
seem to suggest that it could be an intergrade. Sooty Fox Sparrows can be
pretty gray in the face, but this one seems excessive. Also, I can't really
recall seeing a Sooty that seemed to have such defined lateral crown stripes.
I have certainly seen Sooty types that were as reddish as this bird.
There is still much to be learned about Fox Sparrows. There seems to be a
fair number of birds that don't fit cleanly into one subspecies group or
another. Other questions persist about where the ranges of Thick-billed and
Slate-colored Fox Sparrows begin and end in the PNW and whether Slate-colored
winter in our region. They get reported from time to time, but reports are
rarely not supported by good photos and I've also seen some reports of
Slate-coloreds that were accompanied by photos that appear to show Sooties.
It's all clear as mud.
Dave Irons
From: orebird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:orebird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<orebird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:orebird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on
behalf of Joseph Blowers <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2017 5:43 PM
To: orebird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:orebird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [orebird] Red Fox Sparrow id help needed
I saw what I think was a red fox sparrow at McIver State Park a couple of
days ago. I took photos of two different sooty fox sparrows as well as the
alleged red fox sparrow, all from the same berry patch. Not having much
experience with them, I’d appreciate you’re confirming my ID (or telling me I
have it wrong). Thanks so much. Here’s a link to my eBird list with photos:
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33969345 ;
<http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33969345>
Joe Blowers
