Fox Sparrow (Thick-billed) - [megarhyncha Group] (Passerella iliaca)

Fox Sparrows breeding in the Southern California Mountains are "P. i. stephensi" members of the "megarhyncha" group, sometimes treated as a separate species, Thick-billed Fox Sparrow. They are characterized by their gray bill with lower mandible larger than the upper. Also note the unstreaked gray head and back contrasting with reddish-brown wings and tail. This race is further distinguished by mouse-gray (not brown) spots on its underparts as well as overall more grayish plumage and very large bill. The main wintering grounds of this subspecies have been a bit of a mystery. It has been known for some time that a few winter in the lowlands of Southern California, but more recent surveys have found their main wintering grounds to be at higher elevations in the mountains of Baja California.