Sparrows, Buntings

Vesper Sparrow, Spizella gramineus

Family Emberizidae (Sparrows, Buntings)

Size: 6.5"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Pastures, cultivated fields, grasslands

Named for the evening (vesper), the time in which it often sings its sweet song, the vesper sparrow is a large sparrow with a medium-size bill and a notched tail. The upperparts are brown with heavy darker streaking and a rufous patch at the shoulder. The underparts are buffy to whitish with dark streaking along the breast and sides. The eyes have a thin, white eye ring, the dark auriculars have a pale interior, and there is a thin malar stripe. In flight the white outer tail feathers are conspicuous. Vesper sparrows feed on or near the ground for insects, seeds, and worms. Their song starts with slow, clear notes followed by rapid trilled notes. The adult is illustrated.