Passerella iliaca
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca) is a large New World sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Passerella, although some authors split the species into four (see below). Major taxonomic authorities currently differ in their treatment of the fox sparrow complex. The IOC World Bird List/Birds of the World: Recommended English Names and the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World treat each of the four subspecies groups as a separate species, while eBird/The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World and The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World currently treat the complex as a single species.
More specific information regarding plumage is available in the accounts for the various taxa. Adults are among the largest New World sparrows, heavily spotted and streaked underneath. All feature a messy central breast spot though this is less noticeable on the thick billed and slate-colored varieties. Plumage varies markedly from one group to another.
Measurements: Length: 15–19 cm (5.9–7.5 in) Wingspan: 26.7–29 cm (10.5–11.4 in) Weight: 26–44 g (0.92–1.55 oz) Fox sparrows are a... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Fox Sparrow sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 940 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 152 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Fox Sparrow in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in October, the lowest month. That is one of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 190 mm in January.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fox Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 29
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Fox Sparrow sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Gros Morne National Park (Canada, about 50%) and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fox Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (940 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
