North American field guide
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
Identification
Field notes
16 cm (6") Fairly common throughout North America. Dry meadows, pastures, hay and grain fields, prairies, sagebrush, roadsides.
White eye ring. Dark ear patch. Streaked breast sometimes forms a central spot like Song Sparrow's. Chestnut shoulder.
In flight; white at edge of short, slightly notched tail is conspicuous.
Song: may be heard as "here, here, where, where" followed by a downward trill; similar to Song Sparrow's with 2 longer slurred introductory notes. Also has been described as "come, come, where, where, all together down the hill"
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
Vesper Sparrow
Credit: Larry BondVesper Sparrow
Credit: Wild Bird and Nature Videos by McElroy ProductionsWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Vesper Sparrow
1 ruleRule 1 13 criteria · confidence 3
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Square or slightly notched at the end · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- Light outer edge or corners · None · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
- Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
- What were the EYE markings if any ?
- Light RING (white or yellow) AROUND the eye · None · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Sparrow-like