Red form of Fox Sparrow observed on Hillcrest Drive.

This winter there were several Fox Sparrows hanging around the neighborhood. Most winters Fox Sparrows are Rare at best, so it was unusual to see as many as 8, despite the cooler and snowier conditions that prevailed this year as compared to other years. Of particular interest to me was a red form (Taiga form in Sibley’s Guide) individual that I saw several times. Although the size, shape, and pattern of coloration is basically the same, the red form is not nearly as dark brown as the birds we typically see here. For comparison, I’ve included a picture of a more typical looking bird below.

Fox Sparrow

Leucistic Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) found mid-April 2008 by Jen Cedarleaf on Alice Island.

Jen Cedarleaf provided these photos of a Leucistic Fox Sparrow she’s been seeing this week on Alice Island.

Leucistic Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) found mid-April 2008 by Jen Cedarleaf on Alice Island.

Leucistic Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) found mid-April 2008 by Jen Cedarleaf on Alice Island.

Despite the unusual coloring, I’m pretty confident it’s a Fox Sparrow due to the shape of the head, the lack of any suggestion of stripes on the face, and chevrons rather than stripes on the chest. Jen said it behaved more like a Fox Sparrow than a Song Sparrow (the other most likely alternative) as well.