Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
Vesper Sparrows are North American friends found from coast to coast in every season. This bird winters from the southern USA and south into Mexico, but breeds in the northern 70% of the USA and into much of southern Canada. They prefer dry short grass and sage habitats where they nest and forage on the ground for seeds, or in low brush for bugs when on the breeding grounds. Our bird usually avoids tall or wet grass areas.
Science recognizes four subspecies of Vesper Sparrow:
- P. g. gramineus breeds from Minnesota east to Prince Edward Island and south to Missouri and North Carolina. They spend winters from the southern portion of their breeding range to the Gulf Coast and central Texas. Sometimes they wander to northeastern Mexico and Bermuda.
- P. g. confinis breeds in Canada from central British Columbia to southern Manitoba and Ontario. In the USA, they breed south to eastern-central California, and east to Nebraska. They spend winters from the southern edge of their breeding range south to southern Mexico. Occasionally, we find them wintering in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida.
- P. g. affinis breeds in western Washington and Oregon south to coastal northern California. They spend winters south to Baja California.
- P. g. altus is a less well-defined member of this group, found breeding from southern Utah to northern Arizona.
I’ve met Vesper Sparrows while they spent winters in southern California near my home. I’ve also enjoyed meetings on their breeding grounds in eastern Oregon, central Utah, Montana, and South Saskatchewan.
25 Photos
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Fish Lake in Sevier County Utah at just under 9000 feet elevation. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:09 10:42 |
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Location:
Fish Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: D3X0338-VesperSparrow |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Fish Lake in Sevier County Utah at just under 9000 feet elevation. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:09 10:45 |
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Location:
Fish Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X0343-VesperSparrow |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Vesper Sparrows sometimes are seen in the winter season at Vendel Road, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 10:01 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: D3X2856-VesperSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Tubb Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park, near Culp Valley. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:26 9:38 |
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Location:
Tubb Canyon Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X3172-VesperSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Tubb Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park, near Culp Valley. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:26 9:38 |
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Location:
Tubb Canyon Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X3173-VesperSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I stopped to view the countryside from along the 22 mile BLM Access Road from US-20 to Crane Oregon, and enjoyed the company of these sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:02 13:10 |
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Location:
Buchanan |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X6967-VesperSparrow |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I stopped to view the countryside from along the 22 mile BLM Access Road from US-20 to Crane Oregon, and enjoyed the company of these sparrows. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:02 13:11 |
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Location:
Buchanan |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X6971-VesperSparrow |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: (Pooecetes gramineus) A bird captured in the Poway Grasslands, South Poway California. San Diego County USA 2010-01-06. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:06 13:34 |
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Location:
Poway Grasslands |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD5045.VesperSparrow |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: (Pooecetes gramineus) A bird captured in the Poway Grasslands, South Poway California. San Diego County USA 2010-01-06. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:06 13:34 |
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Location:
Poway Grasslands |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3000 |
File Name: JCD5049.VesperSparrow |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: (Pooecetes gramineus) Cut-out image from a bird captured in the Poway Grasslands, South Poway California. San Diego County USA 2010-01-06. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:06 13:34 |
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Location:
Poway Grasslands |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3000 |
File Name: Cut_JCD5049.VesperSparrow |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:14 10:34 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8501612-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:14 10:33 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8501570-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:14 10:31 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8501559-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:14 10:21 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8501551-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:12 10:12 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8500905-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:11 15:10 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8500388-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: I found Vesper Sparrows throughout most of southern Saskatchewan. I spent five nights at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan to complete my two-month tour of Canada in the spring of 2022. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:11 15:09 |
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Location:
Grasslands National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8500375-Grasslands.NP-SK |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I drove several hours through southern Saskatchewan’s agricultural fields, over remote gravel roads looking for bird-life. Vesper Sparrows loved the nearby fields. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:10 11:16 |
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Location:
Sceptre |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8509993-RuralSaskatchewan |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: The snow and frozen rain made traveling hazardous, so I found a large empty lot to park on the outskirts of Lewistown Montana. I planned to work on my blogs, but when I noticed four species of sparrows and other birds nearby, I had to grab my camera. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:20 14:28 |
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Location:
Stockyards |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8502804-Lewiston.MT_ |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: The snow and frozen rain made traveling hazardous, so I found a large empty lot to park on the outskirts of Lewistown Montana. I planned to work on my blogs, but when I noticed four species of sparrows and other birds nearby, I had to grab my camera. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:20 14:28 |
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Location:
Stockyards |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8502788-Lewiston.MT_ |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
|
Description: The snow and frozen rain made traveling hazardous, so I found a large empty lot to park on the outskirts of Lewistown Montana. I planned to work on my blogs, but when I noticed four species of sparrows and other birds nearby, I had to grab my camera. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:20 14:27 |
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Location:
Stockyards |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8502764-Lewiston.MT_ |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: I arrived at Jackson in the early afternoon, and I had time to explore before settling into my camp at Gros Ventre. Close to the town of Jackson Wyoming, the National Elk Reserve holds potential for interesting encounters, like this sage-loving Vesper Sparrow. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:04 15:14 |
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Location:
National Elk Refuge |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/800 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_8506609NationalElkRefuge |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Camped with the San Diego Natural History team near Campo California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2017:10:27 7:54 |
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Location:
Clover Flat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: VesperSparrow_D5X5869-CloverFlats |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:06 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0050-VesperSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus) |
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Description: Tubb Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park, near Culp Valley. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:26 9:38 |
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Location:
Tubb Canyon Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X3169-VesperSparrow |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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