MikeDF on Nostr: I went to the Marine Nature Study Area (1/27), my favorite go-to place for birding, ...
I went to the Marine Nature Study Area (1/27), my favorite go-to place for birding, wildlife photography and tranquility, specifically hoping to observe a Fox Sparrow. Folks had been posting photos of this attractive bird from the site for a while, and it was a new species for me. And as often happens, it was feast or famine. In this case, feast. I counted at least 3.
Fox Sparrows (Passarella iliaca) are insect, seed and berry-eating birds that scratch on the ground in search of food like White-throated Sparrows. They breed in northern areas in N. America. There are four subspecies over which researchers debate species separation. Genetic data indicates distinction, but doesn't clearly resolve the differences. This bird is of the subspecies P. iliaca, the Red Fox Sparrow, which breeds on the Canadian tundra and winters on the east coast. Fox Sparrows are not considered endangered.
Fox Sparrows (Passarella iliaca) are insect, seed and berry-eating birds that scratch on the ground in search of food like White-throated Sparrows. They breed in northern areas in N. America. There are four subspecies over which researchers debate species separation. Genetic data indicates distinction, but doesn't clearly resolve the differences. This bird is of the subspecies P. iliaca, the Red Fox Sparrow, which breeds on the Canadian tundra and winters on the east coast. Fox Sparrows are not considered endangered.