Is There A Fox in the Sparrow House?

When the unexpected occurs especially when a rarely seen bird arrives in a comfortable and safe backyard setting in Nipawin, ones endorphins immediately release and that sense of well being engulfs both body and soul.
After a day of wonderful birding, while enjoying the scenery and weather of the boreal forest region of Saskatchewan, Elaine hadn’t quite finished shuffling the shutter. Sitting on the top step leading out of a screened in deck, she waited to see who would come to visit the water feature in the backyard. Gentle, warm and golden rays of the sun brightened the hue of the leaves, trees and branches that surrounded the attractive pond. Two White -Throated Sparrows searched under and around the fallen, dried leaves, each making its way to the water. Suddenly a “rooster rumble” of sorts broke out between these two sparrows creating a noisy moment.
Things were silent for a while. A few minutes later I could hear the smooth shuffle of the shutter on Elaine’s camera repeat in rapid succession. Going to the screen door I peered out into the coming twilight. “What’s out there?”, I asked noting Elaine’s smile.
“A Fox Sparrow”, was Elaine’s reply. Memories of Fox Sparrow were found in my mental Rolodex in an instant. Perhaps most outstanding is the image of this sparrow aggressively kicking leaves away with powerful legs all in hopes of exposing insects and seeds for a meal. Fox-like, this sparrow leaps on living insects or grubs when revealed by their search. Elaine had salted a few of the stones around the pond with sunflower seeds to see if they would be eaten by the sparrows. A shy bird, the Fox Sparrow, had moved along the edges of the shrub branches and leaves using them as cover as it headed to the seeds.
This sparrow species is a notably larger bird, comprised of a larger, rounded body, a significant lengthy tail, punctuated at the opposite end with a stout black and yellow bill. In addition to size, it is truly the color composition of the feathers that can be a key identifier. The upper body consists of a rich, rusty, reddish-brown hue, all enhanced with thick, almost blurry rusty streaks on the chest and lower body. The face is enhanced with a gray area. For me the tail is eye-catching. Colored beautifully in a rich and rusty reddish tone, the tail, combined with the kicking behavior when foraging, makes identification much easier.
Motivated by the chance to share more time with the Fox Sparrow, Elaine would indeed be in the backyard on the final morning of our visit. Named “fox” for its reddish brown plumage, its best to watch those bushy edges of natural areas. Its shy but noisy behavior can help you, the birder, locate the Fox Sparrow. There is indeed a fox in the sparrow house of the birding world and we are truly richer for its presence.