Pooecetes gramineus
Living on the flat plains that swarm with multitudes of confusing sparrows, the Vesper Sparrow offers birdwatchers a welcome relief: a chestnut patch tucked neatly on the bird's shoulder announces its identity in flight. While perched, its dress is off-the-rack sparrow drab, but its song is simple and customized. This grass-loving bird is one of the lead singers of the prairie chorus, backed up by a multitude of prairie bells. 'Vesper' is from the Latin for 'evening,' a time when this bird sings. The scientific name refers to this species's preferred habitat: Pooecetes is Greek for 'grass dweller,' and gramineus is Latin for 'grass-loving.' |
I.D.: Sexes similar: chestnut shoulder patch; white outer tail feathers; pale yellow lore; weak flank streaking; white eye ring; dark upper mandible; lighter lower mandible; light-colored legs. Size: L 51/2-61/2 in. (14-17 cm). Range: common summer resident in the U.S. Rockies; uncommon summer resident in the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: grasslands, semi-open shrublands, agricultural areas and railway rights-of-way from the lowlands to the montane. Nesting: in a scrape on the ground, often under a canopy of grass; small cup nest is woven with grass and lined with finer materials; female (primarily) incubates 4-5 eggs for 11-13 days. Feeding: walks and runs along the ground, picking up grasshoppers, beetles, cutworms and seeds. Voice: 4 characteristic, preliminary notes followed by an aimless melody: here-here there-there, everybody-down-the-hill. Similar Species: Savannah Sparrow: lacks the white outer tail feathers and the chestnut shoulder patch. Baird's Sparrow: well-defined 'necklace'; lacks the white outer tail feathers. Lincoln's Sparrow: buffy wash on the breast; lacks the white outer tail feathers. |
