The Fox Sparrow is a chunky delight that makes its way through southern Wisconsin in autumn and springtime, breeding on the high arctic. Most of the birds we see in Wisconsin are the red ‘type’ of sparrows; which breed in brushy woods and forest edges. Other types are subdivided by phenotype and breeding habitat and include the Sooty Fox Sparrows occupying streamside thickets in Alaska and British Columbia; the Slate-colored Fox Sparrows, also occupying streamside habitat but extending down to Colorado, and the Large-billed Fox Sparrows which breed in high elevation scrub habitat along the west coast and some of the interior west.
Fox Sparrow, photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
Nesting occurs low to the ground or on the ground, and its general habitat preferences on its breeding range indicate where you might find it on migration through Wisconsin; generally dense spots with lots of brush along a forest edge are good bets.
Some Fox Sparrow types along the western coast of North America exhibit a leapfrog pattern of migration, whereby the more northern birds on the breeding ground actually migrate farther south than the southern birds. There’s interesting research and theories to explain this behavior, and it’s thought that the northern birds experience a pulse of food on their wintering range and on their brief stay in the far north, so they fatten quickly and are able to disperse farther. Basically, the northern breeding populations Fox Sparrows are chasing the dragon of highly available and nutrient dense food, while the southern breeding populations are more even-keeled, content to ride out more marginal food supplies in exchange for a short migration. The birds we see moving through Faville Grove will overwinter in the mid-south west to Oklahoma, with a few birds lingering in southern Wisconsin all winter. Return flights to the arctic occur in early to mid March.
Fall at the Lake Mills Ledge Savanna (October 2021). Photo by Kaitlin Svabek / Madison Audubon
At Faville Grove, locations to find Fox Sparrows might include the west edge of Faville Woods or along the Lake Mills Ledge Savanna. Both spots offer areas of savanna with brushy spots and open prairie. About two weeks ago I saw a group of Fox Sparrows on the edge of a prairie restoration, happily working back and forth between an adjacent brushy spot and back into the prairie. Their bright and streaky plumage perfectly complement a cheery fall day.
Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward
Cover photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
