Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca zaboria), Tres Rios Wetlands, Maricopa County

This Red Fox Sparrow was discovered by Tommy DeBardeleben and photographed by Robert Bowker on 2 December 2011 at Tres Rios Wetlands.

The Slate-colored Fox Sparrow is the expected form in Arizona. The other three forms (Red, Sooty and Thick-billed) have all occurred in Arizona, but the Red Fox Sparrow is the most frequent of these. All three of these less common forms are now review subspecies for the Arizona Bird Committee. The committee is interested in receiving documentation on these other forms because their status in Arizona is poorly known and it is possible they could be split into separate species in the future. "Red" Fox Sparrow (iliaca group) is itself split into two subspecies. The western P. i. zaboria is the subspecies known to occur in Arizona but it is not separable in the field from the other subspecies of Red Fox Sparrow, P. i. iliaca.

Rufous crown and auriculars separate the "Red" from other forms of Fox Sparrow. The overall bright reddish and bold breast streaking and spotting and the bright yellowish bill are also indicators.

02 December 2011, photo by Robert Bowker