The distribution of Vesper Sparrow has responded to the availability of grassland, which has varied over the past two centuries both in the State of Washington and across the continent of North American. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. 2002. A lot of sparrow species are only subtly different in appearance from other sparrow species. Vesper refers to the evening when this bird can be heard singing. For sparrow identification there are many aspects that we have to consider. Fledging occurs at approximately 9 to 10 days old with the young depending on their parents for 20 to 30 days after fledging. A lot of sparrow species are only subtly different in appearance from other sparrow species. These little brown jobs are more common in the western part of their range, but birders who know which field marks to note and what to listen for can easily add these sparrows to their life lists. Sign up with your email address to receive the latest news and information about upcoming events. This little brown job (LBJ) might be a bit easier to see than its other LBJ friends. They are grayish brown above and buffy below with brown streaks. Vesper means “evening.”. However, Vesper Sparrow is in danger of extirpation in Western Washington. Forages mainly on the ground. Learn how your comment data is processed. Your information will not be shared with any third party. Sparrow is from the Anglo-Saxon, spearwa, meaning to flutter (Holloway). They have experienced significant declines as forest regeneration and farmland abandonment progress in the northeast. The vesper sparrow is an early spring migrant with males arriving in New York in late March and females arriving within a week of the males. If the nest is threatened, the female will fly away as if to distract the intruder and lure it away from the nest. A brown cheek patch, which reaches behind the eye, is adjacent to a white stripe that extends down from the bill. This species is not currently identified as a species of specific conservation need by Partners in Flight, but is listed as Threatened or Endangered in several eastern states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Vesper Sparrows also lack the bold eyeline found in the Savannah Sparrow. Vespers is also the name of the canonical hour for evening prayer. Pairs commonly raise 2 broods per season. They have a narrow white eye-ring, white outer tail feathers, and a rufous shoulder patch. Their summer breeding range includes the northern third of the United States, all of Canada, including its subarctic region, and Alaska. Beginning with 2-4 clear, long notes and ending with a mix of varying trills, these beautiful singers will serenade you morning and night. Because of their propensity to sing at twilight, a trip to an open grassy area at dusk during the breeding season is a good time to go looking for them. The male often takes over feeding completely when the female starts the second brood. These include prescribed burns, livestock grazing, and mine reclamation. Clutches contain 3 to 5 eggs with the female incubating for approximately 13 days, although males may occasionally assist. Populations peaked in the late 19th and early 20th century as a result of forest clearing. Similar species include the Song Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow, but both of these species lack white outer tail feathers and the white eye-ring. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). “The uniformity of the [cryptic] pattern, however, makes the pale markings about the face really stand out. Characteristically, the Vesper Sparrow will fly away when disturbed. Additionally, it has a larger, stockier build than the savannah sparrow, while possessing a grayish-brown crown lacking a median stripe. Cornely. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. They love to congregate in flocks, sometimes fairly large flocks, along roadsides and ditches, foraging in weeds and brushy vegetation. The second New York State Breeding Bird Atlas yielded a 49 percent decline in detection from the first atlas. Tagged: bird of the month, vesper sparrow. At least to me, the Vesper Sparrow is an excellent example of one of those hard to identify species. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. It is woven out of grasses and lined with fine grasses, feathers, and hair. The breast is grayish white and streaked with black. Vesper Sparrows are fairly large sparrows with a chunky body, a fairly small conical bill, and a long, notched tail. This behavior offers an advantage for the birder who can then see the white outer tail feathers as the bird flies away. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Also, surprisingly evident is a narrow white eye-ring” (Dunne, p. 599). The upperparts are pale gray-brown and marked with black streaking. The vesper sparrow is a stocky, short-tailed, grayish-brown sparrow with a streaked breast. That they are so common does not render them any less charming. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.