Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca zaboria), De Anza Trail south of Clark's Crossing, Santa Cruz County

This Red Fox Sparrow was found and photographed by Laurens Halsey on 01 February 2012 along the Anza Trail south of Clark's Crossing.

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. "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 (obscured in this photograph), the bright yellowish bill, and the light edged tertials (barely visible) are also indicators.

01 February 2012, photo by Laurens Halsey