SongLark
Bird call
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) call
A loud, sweet song of clear whistles and trills from mountain chaparral, and a sharp smack call.
Listen to the Fox Sparrow call
A field recording of the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) by Tim Messick, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Fox Sparrow in montane, scrub and forest habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Fox Sparrow
These birds belong to the new world sparrow family, like the Fox Sparrow, so their calls can sound alike.
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Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
A dry even trill on one pitch; ticking smack notes when flushed.
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White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
Clear whistle then a buzzy jumble. San Francisco birds sing a local dialect.
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Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
A rising, catlike mewww and a buzzy trilled song from deep cover.
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California Towhee Melozone crissalis
A metallic chink note, often accelerating into a bouncing squeal duet.
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Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Three sharp introductory notes then a jumbled trill; a nasal chimp call.
Questions
Questions about the Fox Sparrow
What does the Fox Sparrow sound like?
A loud, sweet song of clear whistles and trills from mountain chaparral, and a sharp smack call. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Fox Sparrow?
Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee and Song Sparrow sound similar.
Where can I hear the Fox Sparrow?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of California course.
How can I learn the Fox Sparrow call?
In SongLark's Birds of California course, it comes in Level 8: Sierra Nevada. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Fox Sparrow in its Birds of California course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of California, the Fox Sparrow comes in Level 8: Sierra Nevada. That Level is about pine and fir forest up to the high peaks.
Learn it with these birds in Level 8 of Birds of California
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Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli
A hoarse chick-a-dee-dee-dee and a clear, falling fee-bee-bee whistle.
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Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
A nasal, tinny yank-yank, like a toy horn, repeated from high in the conifers.
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Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
A hoarse, robin-like song of short phrases, and a rising, rattled pit-er-ick call.
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Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
A long, clear opening note then a ringing, ethereal flourish, each phrase pitched differently.
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Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
A rich, rolling song like a robin that took singing lessons, and a sharp, squeaky pik.
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Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana
A grating, drawn-out kraaa that rings across the high peaks.
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Hairy Woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus
A sharp, loud peek! and a fast, even rattle on one pitch.
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Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
A clear, piping, bell-like tew repeated in winter; a long, rich warbling song in spring.
Get SongLark
Learn Fox Sparrow in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Fox Sparrow.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
- On iPhone? SongLark is coming soon to the App Store.
- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.