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Pyle's Fox Sparrow Statistics in Tabular Form
From: Pyle, Peter. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Passerines. Slate Creek Press. Bolinas.

Coastal Sooty form

breeds winters ex culmen (mm) bill depth (mm) wing (mm) tail (mm) description

unalaschensis e. Aleutian Is
to w.AK coastal sw.
BC-sw.CA 11.6-13.4 6.9-8.0 F(n16) 75-83 M(n23) 78-86 F(n10) 68-75 M(n12) 73-79 Medium in size; bill medium large. Crown and back uniformly dull, dark brown with gray wash; breast and belly spots heavy and brownish gray.

ridgwayi Kodiak Is,
AK coastal w. WA-sw.CA 11.9-13.7 7.0-8.0 F(n10) 77-83 M(n19) 80-97 F(n10) 66-74 M(n12) 71-78 Medium in size; bill large. Crown and back uniformly bright, medium-dark brown with reddish tinge; breast and belly spots heavy and brown.

sinuosa coastal sc.AK coastal sw.
BC-sw.CA 11.2-13.4 7.3-8.2 F(n10) 75-81 M(n23) 78-84 F(n10) 66-73 M(n12) 68-76 Medium small; bill medium large. Crown and back uniformly dull brown with grayish-red tinge; breast and belly spots moderately heavy and brownish.

annectens coastal sc-
se.AK coastal w.
WA-sw.CA 10.8-12.7 6.8-7.8 F(n10) 73-81 M(n33) 78-86 F(n10) 66-72 M(n12) 77-75 Medium small; bill medium in size and stout. Crown & back uniformly brightish, medium brown with a reddish tinge; breast & belly spots moderately heavy & brown.

townsendi coastal se.
AK-Queen
Charlotte
Is, BC to coastal
wc.CA 10.4-13.0 6.4-7.8 F(n16) 73-82 M(n90) 76-85 F(n10) 65-74 M(n89) 67-77 Small; tail relatively long; bill medium in size & slender. Crown & back uniformly brightish, dark brown with reddish wash; breast & belly spots heavy & brown with a reddish wash.

chilcatensis coastal s.
AK-cw.BC coastal w.
OR-wc.CA 10.9-13.3 6.3-7.5 F(n10) 73-82 M(n51) 76-85 F(n10) 62-71 M(n49) 65-74 Small; relatively short tail; bill medium large & relatively slender. Crown & back uniformly sooty brown with reddish wash; breast & belly spots heavy and sooty brown with reddish wash.

fuliginosa coastal cw.
BC-nw.WA to Coastal
wc.CA 10..8-13.1 6.3-7.5 F(n10) 75-82 M(n14) 78-86 F(n10) 67-75 M(n14) 70-80 Medium small; bill medium in size & slender. Crown & back uniformly, dark sooty brown with reddish tinge; breast & belly spots heavy and sooty brown with reddish tinge.

Western Thick-billed form

breeds winters ex culmen (mm) bill width (mm) wing (mm) tail (mm) description

megarhyncha montane
sc.OR-c.CA c-s.CA 11.2-13.8 8.0-9.9 F(n32) 75-84 M(n93) 78-87 F(n14) 75-85 M(n60) 79-90 Medium in size; bill large. Crown and back uniformly medium brownish gray; breast and belly spots sparse and dark brown*.

brevicauda coastal
nw.CA coastal
cw-sw.CA 13.3-15.4 9.7-11.8 F(n10) 76-83 M(n10) 79-87 F(n10) 76-84 M(n10) 79-89 Medium in size; bill very large and relatively narrow. Crown and back uniformly dark grayish brown; breast and belly spots sparse and dark brown.

stephensi montane
sc.CA coastal sw.CA 13.2-16.0 10.2-11.9 F(n43) 76-85 M(n82) 79-89 F(n10) 78-87 M(n37) 81-91 Medium large; bill very large and relatively wide. Crown and back uniformly medium-dark gray; breast and belly spots sparse and dark brown.

Western Slate-colored form

breeds winters ex culmen (mm) bill depth (mm) wing (mm) tail (mm) description

olivacea interior sc.
BC-e.WA interior c-sc.CA 10.4-12.4 6.7-7.7 F(n10) 75-82 M(n10) 79-85 F(n10) 72-80 M(n10) 75-83 Medium small; bill medium small. Crown and back uniformly, medium grayish olive with a reddish tinge; breast & belly spots moderate in size and brown.

schistacea se.BC-sc.
Alb to e.
OR-c.CO interior c-sc.
CA to sw.TX 10..5-12.4 6.3-7.4 F(n34) 73-83 M(n46) 78-86 F(n10) 74-79 M(n29) 77-84 Medium small; bill medium small and relatively slender. Crown & back uniformly medium, medium brownish gray; breast & belly spots moderately heavy and dusky brown.

swarthi se.ID-se.UT AZ-NM? 10.4-13.0 5.3-7.0 F(n10) 74-83 M(n32) 78-87 F(n10) 74-81 M(n32) 77-86 Medium small; bill medium in length and slender. Crown and back uniformly, medium-dark gray; breast & belly spots heavy and brown.

canescens montane e.
CA-ecNV s.CA-s.AZ 9.9-12.2 7.5-8.4 F(n10) 74-80 M(n36) 77-84 F(n10) 72-82 M(n36) 76-86 Small; bill small and stout. Crown and back uniformly pale gray; breast and belly spots moderately sparse and dusky brown.

Northern Red form

breeds winters ex culmen (mm) bill depth (mm) wing (mm) tail (mm) description

altivagans interior BC-sw.Alb CA-s.AZ 10.9-12.5 6.4-7.5 F(n10) 76-86 M(n26) 79-89 F(n10) 65-75 M(n36) 68-78 Medium large; bill medium small. Crown and back dark, dull grayish chestnut with indistinct, brown streaks; breast spots moderately heavy, indistinct and dull reddish brown**.

zaboria interior AK-
c.Alb to s.
NWT-Man s.CA&IA-s.
TX to GA 10.4-12.5 6.7-7.6 F(n19) 80-87 M(n74) 84-92 F(n10) 65-73 M(n63) 68-77 Large; bill medium small. Crown and back dark brownish gray with reduced, dull chestnut streaks; breast spots moderately sparse, distinct and dull reddish brown.

iliaca ne.Man-Ont
to Nfl MI-Ms to NH-n.FL 10.6-12.5 6.7-7.5 F(n10) 82-87 M(n10) 85-91 F(n10) 63-70 M(n36) 67-75 Large; bill medium small. Crown and back medium gray with extensive, bright chestnut streaks; breast and belly spots heavy, distinct and bright reddish brown.

*"Western Thick-billed" birds breeding in sc.OR-nc.CA ("fulva") may average darker and smaller billed, and birds breeding in interior ec.CA ("monoensis") average paler and smaller-billed, but in both cases differences are too slight to warrant subspecies distinctions. Breeding birds in c.CA ("mariposae") may average paler and grayer than birds of sw.OR-nc.CA, but differences are slight and/or this designation was based on comparisons of birds collected at different seasons.

**This subspecies is considered an intermediate form by Pyle and may belong in the Western Slate-colored group.

Everything else we think we know about Fox Sparrows in the Pacific Northwest

	breeds	winters	ex culmen (mm)	bill depth (mm)	wing (mm)	tail (mm)	description
unalaschensis	e. Aleutian Is to w.AK	coastal sw. BC-sw.CA	11.6-13.4	6.9-8.0	F(n16) 75-83 M(n23) 78-86	F(n10) 68-75 M(n12) 73-79	Medium in size; bill medium large. Crown and back uniformly dull, dark brown with gray wash; breast and belly spots heavy and brownish gray.
ridgwayi	Kodiak Is, AK	coastal w. WA-sw.CA	11.9-13.7	7.0-8.0	F(n10) 77-83 M(n19) 80-97	F(n10) 66-74 M(n12) 71-78	Medium in size; bill large. Crown and back uniformly bright, medium-dark brown with reddish tinge; breast and belly spots heavy and brown.
sinuosa	coastal sc.AK	coastal sw. BC-sw.CA	11.2-13.4	7.3-8.2	F(n10) 75-81 M(n23) 78-84	F(n10) 66-73 M(n12) 68-76	Medium small; bill medium large. Crown and back uniformly dull brown with grayish-red tinge; breast and belly spots moderately heavy and brownish.
annectens	coastal sc- se.AK	coastal w. WA-sw.CA	10.8-12.7	6.8-7.8	F(n10) 73-81 M(n33) 78-86	F(n10) 66-72 M(n12) 77-75	Medium small; bill medium in size and stout. Crown & back uniformly brightish, medium brown with a reddish tinge; breast & belly spots moderately heavy & brown.
townsendi	coastal se. AK-Queen Charlotte Is, BC	to coastal wc.CA	10.4-13.0	6.4-7.8	F(n16) 73-82 M(n90) 76-85	F(n10) 65-74 M(n89) 67-77	Small; tail relatively long; bill medium in size & slender. Crown & back uniformly brightish, dark brown with reddish wash; breast & belly spots heavy & brown with a reddish wash.
chilcatensis	coastal s. AK-cw.BC	coastal w. OR-wc.CA	10.9-13.3	6.3-7.5	F(n10) 73-82 M(n51) 76-85	F(n10) 62-71 M(n49) 65-74	Small; relatively short tail; bill medium large & relatively slender. Crown & back uniformly sooty brown with reddish wash; breast & belly spots heavy and sooty brown with reddish wash.
fuliginosa	coastal cw. BC-nw.WA	to Coastal wc.CA	10..8-13.1	6.3-7.5	F(n10) 75-82 M(n14) 78-86	F(n10) 67-75 M(n14) 70-80	Medium small; bill medium in size & slender. Crown & back uniformly, dark sooty brown with reddish tinge; breast & belly spots heavy and sooty brown with reddish tinge.