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Fox Sparrow

Status Uncommon in summer, fairly common transient, rare in winter. Breeds. In spring it usually appears in late March (average 27 March, earliest 19 March), with main movements in the first half of April. Although usually it is briefly common in central and northern counties, it is scarce in some years in southern parts (see Remarks). In summer it may be found on spruce-clad islands from Bon Portage Island northward along the Southwestern and Eastern shores, on the coast proper from northeastern Halifax County northward, and in more barren inland areas of Guysborough County and Cape Breton Island. Fall transients outside breeding areas generally appear rather late (average 14 October, earliest 1 October). Several in Dartmouth on 19 August 1967 (M. Clayden) were highly anomalous. Stragglers over winter are usually seen at feeding stations. In some years considerable numbers remain: they were recorded on 10 of 24 Christmas Bird Counts in 1965-66.

Description Length: 17-19 cm. Adults: Upperparts rufous brown, the feathers edged with bluish gray; rump and tail bright rufous; underparts white, heavily streaked and spotted with dark to reddish brown; middle of belly white.

Breeding Nest: On the ground or in low bushes, in sparsely wooded areas; composed of coarse grass lined with fine grass, mosses and feathers. Eggs: 4-5; pale blue or greenish blue, speckled and blotched with varying shades of brown. Although the beautiful singing of males in their territories had long been known to occur in summer on our smaller Atlantic coast islands and on Cape Breton Island, nesting has only been confirmed in recent years. Kempton (1891) described a nesting, but the indefinite locality and questionable habitat description render the record suspect. An adult was seen carrying food on middle Halibut Island, Halifax County, on 25 June 1966 by John Comer and Barbara Hinds. Since then, three nestings have been detailed for the Maritimes Nest Records Scheme.

Range Breeds from northern Alaska, northwestern Mackenzie, southern Keewatin, northern Quebec, and Labrador, south to southwestern Nova Scotia, and in the mountains south to California. Winters from southern British Columbia and the central United States to the southern United States.

Remarks Regarding the erratic pattern of this bird's migration through Nova Scotia, Harrison F. Lewis suggests that the birds may follow a preferred route along the south shore of New Brunswick until they can cross the upper Bay of Fundy or come in over land through Cumberland County. "In those springs we see few Fox Sparrows in Shelburne County," he remarks. "But there are springs when, at the time of their migration, the snow still lies deep on the route above mentioned. When so confronted, the migration turns southward from eastern Maine or from Grand Manan and passes through southwestern Nova Scotia and Fox Sparrows are then common there."

This bird is most likely to be confused in life with the Hermit Thrush, which also has a conspicuous rufous tail. However, the thrush has a slender bill quite unlike that of any sparrow, and its underparts are more lightly spotted.