Fox Sparrow in December

December is the start of the true winter season. Birds are settled into winter ranges and flocking behavior peaks — mixed flocks move through woods and yards together, and feeding stations become social hubs. Short days mean birds must find most of their food in a few hours of daylight.

For the Fox Sparrow specifically, December is a winter month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. Across the 45 states and provinces where fox sparrows occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.

Southern states

absent

Mid-latitudes

year-round resident

Northern states & Canada

absent

In December, fox sparrows are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.

Fox sparrows are not nesting in December. The season runs May–July at mid-latitudes.

Outside the nesting season, fox sparrows put their energy into feeding and flocking rather than territory and young — which is exactly what makes them easier to watch and attract this month.

• Seeds and berries

Scratches with both feet at once, flinging leaves.

Feeders are busiest at dawn and dusk as birds fuel up against long cold nights. Suet and other high-fat foods earn their keep this month.

Full Fox Sparrow diet guide → · Best feeder for fox sparrows →

Fox sparrows are settled and predictable in December, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.

The state guides below show exactly where in your region fox sparrows are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.

AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaManitobaMarylandMassachusetts