FINCHES 



closely allied species include: slate-colored 

 fox sparrow of the Rocky Mountain region 

 and west to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade 

 Mountains; Shumagin fox sparrow, of the 

 Shuniagin Islands and the Alaska peninsula; 

 sooty fox sparrow of the coast district of 

 British Columbia and northwest Wash- 

 ington; Kadiak fox sparrow of Kadiak 

 Island, Alaska; thick-billed fox sparrow 

 of the Sierra Nevadas of California from 

 Shasta to Whitney, and Stephens fox spar- 

 row of the mountains of southern Cali- 

 fornia. 



Fox sparrows in the w^est live in the far 

 north or in the higher mountains of the 

 United States, and are only seen in the 

 valleys during the spring and fall migrations. 

 The sooty fox sparrow is said to nest in 

 northwestern Washington, and the slate- 

 colored in the Cascades of Washington 

 and Oregon, while the thick-billed and 

 Stephens fox sparrows live and nest in 

 California. 



Fox sparrows may be distinguished from 

 song sparrows by their slightly larger size, 

 unstreaked u])perparts, boldly spotted 

 breast and yellow lower mandible. Their 

 song is described as rich and fine for a 

 finch. 



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