Vesper Sparrow

The Vesper Sparrow is a fairly large, streaky brown grassland sparrow, distinguished from many similar species by a thin white eye-ring that gives it an alert, wide-eyed expression, and a chestnut patch on the bend of the wing (the "shoulder") that can be hard to see when the wing is folded. The upperparts and breast are streaked brown on a paler background, without strong facial markings.

The species gets its common name from an old belief that it sang with particular frequency and beauty in the evening ("vespers"), though in fact it sings through much of the day as well.

Key field marks

• Thin white eye-ring on an otherwise plain streaked face
• Chestnut patch at the bend of the wing (often hard to see)
• White outer tail feathers, flashing conspicuously in flight
• Streaked brown breast without a strong central spot

Similar species

• Savannah Sparrow has a yellow patch above the eye rather than a white eye-ring, and lacks white outer tail feathers.
• Song Sparrow is browner with a heavier central breast spot and lacks the white eye-ring and white outer tail feathers.

Vesper Sparrows breed across southern Canada and the northern and western United States, in open grasslands, prairies, pastures, and agricultural fields, particularly areas with a mix of bare ground and grass cover. Populations have declined significantly with the loss and intensification of grassland habitat.

The species winters across the southern United States and Mexico, in similarly open, grassy, or agricultural habitats, and is a medium-distance migrant, generally arriving on breeding grounds in early spring and departing in fall.

Vesper Sparrows forage on the ground in open fields, walking and running rather than hopping, and often flush to fly a short distance low over the ground, flashing white outer tail feathers, before dropping back into cover. They favor slightly more open, sparsely vegetated ground than many other grassland sparrows.

The song is a series of clear whistled phrases, typically beginning with two low, slurred notes followed by two higher notes and then a descending trill, often given from a fence post, shrub, or other low perch, including in the evening, which inspired the species' name. Diet consists mainly of insects in the breeding season and seeds the rest of the year. Nests are built on the ground in a shallow depression, well hidden by surrounding grass, with typical clutches of three to five eggs.