Vesper Sparrow

The Vesper Sparrow is a ground dweller who are native to the North American continent. It is relatively easier to spot these birds as compared to other Sparrows due to their larger size and open nature. Vesper Sparrows are less shy and frequently sing from open, elevated perches or forage in open forest land.

About Vesper Sparrows

While spotting these captivating birds is relatively easy, one is much more likely to hear their wondrous song before seeing it. The song of the Vesper Sparrow is sweet and splendid, especially in the evenings. A unique feature of this species is that they continue singing well past twilight after other songbirds have arrested their song.

Vesper Sparrows were introduced to the eastern range only after the European Settlement began in about 1900. Since then it has amply populated the eastern regions. However, recently, the density of Vesper Sparrows in the eastern region is declining as abandoned farmlands are quickly turning into forests.

Vesper Sparrows have a fascinating courtship ritual that involves males singing particular songs while moving around females with raised wings and tails. The birds are usually monogamous. The birds can be territorial and males who establish territories with larger shrub covers find it easier to mate. Vesper Sparrows seem especially interesting, don’t they? Let’s learn a little more about them.

● Vesper Sparrow Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Vesper Sparrow Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Vesper Sparrow Range and Migration, Nesting

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Vesper Sparrow Color Pattern

Both sexes have similar plumages. Vesper Sparrows are greyish-brown above and have cream or white underparts. Both the upper and underparts have black and brown streaks. The white eye-ring and pale spot outlines the dark, below and behind the eye, and create a distinctive pattern.

The adult plumage consists of a medium or grayish-brown forehead, crown, nape, back, rump, and upper tail coverts. There is broad streaking on the center and rear back, scapulars, and is largest on the upper tail coverts.

The supercilium is greyish and paler than the crown. The side of the neck becomes paler along the rear border of the ear coverts. Rectrices are blackish-brown and edged with medium grayish-brown. Underparts have a dull white tinge on the breast, sides, and flanks with buff. Malar-stripe connects to the streaking on the breast, sides, flanks, and thighs.

The juvenile’s plumage is similar to the adult’s plumage, except, the brown areas are drably colored. The wing bars are wider and buffier with little chestnut coloring in the lesser wing coverts. Vesper Sparrows undergo partial molts, but there is no noticeable change in the plumage coloring.

Description and Identification

Vesper Sparrows are medium to large Sparrows with small bills and round heads. It is easiest to spot them at dusk, during the breeding season, when they perch atop vegetation to sing. One needs to look for their distinctive white eye ring. The rufous patch on the shoulder is often difficult to spot in the field.

The species is most often confused with the Song Sparrow and the Savannah Sparrow as these birds have similar appearances and share the same habitats. However, the distinctive white eye ring is exclusive to Vesper Sparrows.

In addition to the eye-ring, these birds are larger and have a stockier build than the other species. Furthermore, Vesper Sparrows lack the strongly rufous, pale, or dark color patterns attributed to Song Sparrows.

Vesper Sparrow Song

Vesper Sparrows produce sweet and musical songs, that start with 2-4 long clear notes, and then a downward slur and shorter flutelike trills (2 to 7 varieties). The trills rise and fall in pitch throughout the song. Seldom, the notes, in the beginning, are the loudest and the highest, while the rest of the song declines in pitch.

An intriguing feature is that the birds at specific locations shared specific syllable types that were not apparent in other regions. This discovery prompted researchers to conclude that many Vesper Sparrows adapt their songs to the local dialect, similar to the way humans from different geographical locations have different accents.

Famous philosophist, Henry David Thoreau describes the rhythm somewhat like “char”, (or here here), “che che, chip, chip, chip” (fast), “chitter, chitter, chitter chit” (very fast and jingling), “tchea ttchea” (jinglingly).

Vesper Sparrow Size

Vesper Sparrows are large Sparrows but are considered medium-sized birds. Adult males weigh 20 to 28 grams while adult females weigh between 19 to 28 grams. Sexual dimorphism is evident as, on average, adult males weigh 2 grams more than females.

However, wingspans are relatively similar for both sexes. Adults have an average wingspan of 25.4 cm. Both males and females measure approximately 15.9 cms. It is crucial to note that different subspecies have different measurements. For example, P. g. confinis are relatively large in comparison to other subspecies, with longer tails and more slender bills. P. g. affinis, on the other hand, are relatively small and short compared to the overall species average.

Vesper Sparrow Behavior

Vesper Sparrows are typically ground species that prefer runs and hops, especially when foraging for food. Nevertheless, it is still a strong flier that flies short distances to the ground or protective cover in the winter months.

In the breeding season, Vesper Sparrows perform a flight song that is 3 times longer than the primary song. In an average fight song, the bird ascends to 25–75 m, moving horizontally in a straight line 100–200 m before descending.

The Sparrows sing daily, peaking at dawn and twilight. Nevertheless, during midsummer, the song can be heard throughout the day but may subside on particularly hot days. The birds might continue singing well past twilight in midsummer.

Vesper Sparrows are usually amicable birds who rarely have territorial disputes. During the winter, they occasionally live together with other species such as Grasshopper Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows. Nonetheless, during the breeding season, they tend to guard their territory using a song. When the birds face predators they prefer hiding under cover rather than confronting the predator head-on.

Vesper Sparrow Diet

Vesper Sparrows consume a mix of insects and other small invertebrates and vegetal matter. They are ground foragers who run and hop across their territory to find food, often using their feet to scratch at the surface. They run around in low grass cover and aim to catch insects perched atop taller vegetation.

Most often they consume insects, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars during the breeding season. In addition, they also consume plant matter such as grass seeds, weed seeds, and waste grains throughout the year. These are gathered using rapid pecking movements.

The Sparrows are not known to store their food and thus hunt daily. Moreover, Vesper Sparrows have low water requirements. A combination of insects and seeds apparently allows these birds to exist without water on a cool day.

Vesper Sparrow Habitat

Vesper Sparrows breed in dry open areas with sparse grasslands that contain scattered shrubs. These most often include old fields, pastures, roadsides, weedy fencelines, and hayfields. The bird generally tends to avoid areas with dense vegetal cover and moist environments.

In the western part of the North American continent, Vesper Sparrows seek out montane meadows, grasslands, prairie, and sagebrush steppe. The species prefers that their habitat have some shrub components and some elevated components that allow them to perch when delivering their daily songs.

In the midwest, the birds inhabit fencerows between two crop fields and edges between farmlands and woodlands. They breed in open pastures and native grasslands. Scatted trees or shrubs may also be present.

In the eastern part of the North American continent, habitats included oil fields and reclaimed surface mines as well as the regular grasslands. The reason unusual habitats are chosen in the east is due to the decline of traditional croplands in the region. Vesper Sparrows have rapidly adapted to these new environments to ensure their survival in an ever-changing landscape. A truly commendable feat from these humble songbirds!

Range and Migration

Vesper Sparrows are known to be partial migrants, as the northern subspecies generally migrate south for the winter, but the southern subspecies do not migrate.

During the breeding season, the southern limit of their range extended to the northern United States, as far as the Appalachian region of Virginia. In the west, they can be as far south as northern Arizona and New Mexico. The northern breeding range includes southern Canadian regions and can extend into Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The northern boundary of the overwintering regions includes the southern United States such as Louisiana and Texas. The southern boundary extends into regions of Mexico such as Oaxaca.

When migrating, Vesper Sparrows fly south in flocks, under the cover of night. Spring migration begins in early March and is completed by May. Fall migration begins as early as late July, but peaks between August and September.

Vesper Sparrow Lifecycle

Vesper Sparrow clutch sizes range from 2 to 6 eggs per brood, and they have between 1 to 3 broods per season. The incubation period is 11 to 14 days while the nesting period is 7 to 14 days. The eggs appear whitish with variable brown or purplish spots, streaks, and blotches. Both parents are responsible for incubating the eggs and feeding the young.

The nestlings are ready to leave the nest 11 to 14 days after hatching. However, juveniles remain dependent on their parents for food and support for up to 30 days. Both males and females become sexually mature by the next breeding season. While details on the lifespan of the bird are sparse, the oldest Vesper Sparrow on record was 7.08 years old!

Nesting

An unusual feature of this species is that only the female is responsible for building the nest. Female Vesper Sparrows place nests under clumps of crop residue early in the season and at plant bases later in the season. Birds may dig a slight depression in the ground. The nests are often well hidden by vegetation.

The nest is a shallow, woven cup of grasses and is lined with feathers, horsehair, or pine needles. The exterior of the nest is constructed using rootlets, mosses, fine twigs, and bark strips.

The outside diameter is 8 to 10 centimeters, while the inside diameter is 5 to 6centimeters. The nest is generally 1centimeter deep on the inside and 2 to 5 centimeters on the outside.

Anatomy of a Vesper Sparrow

Vesper Sparrows are medium-sized streaky-brown birds with cream-colored stomachs. The white eyering and white male stripes are distinctive markers. A small conical bill extends from below the nostril. The depth of the bill is less than the distance from the nostril to the mandible.

The wings are long and pointed as they contain the longest primaries (sixth to ninth). The tertials do not protrude beyond the secondaries. The tail is about 75% the length of the wing. Vesper Sparrows have brown or reddish-brown irises and pinkish feet.

Final Thoughts

These captivating medium-sized birds have captured our attention for many years. The delightful tinkling sound that Vesper Sparrows produce has inspired many naturalists and poets over the years.

Interestingly, it is the only member of its taxonomic genus. It does not have many close relatives. Nevertheless, Vesper Sparrows are friendly birds that often mingle with many of their own and other species. They are generally not territorial and live in peace.

If more than one brood is produced, males may sometimes take over all duties of nesting a single brood while the female focuses on the second brood. The care and regard they display for their families are laudable.

It is great that these humble birds can adapt to a wide variety of habitats, as their natural habitat of open dry grasslands has drastically reduced in the eastern United States, forcing them to use alternative sites. Unfortunately, their efforts have had a limited impact as the Vesper Sparrow population has dramatically reduced in the region.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Vesper Sparrows

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Vesper Sparrow are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Vesper Sparrow Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Vesper Sparrow. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For Vesper Sparrows

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesFor Vesper Sparrows

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.