Vesper Sparrow

A cheerful series of clear, bell-like notes followed by a descending, hurried trill, delivered from a fencepost or the ground, most often at dawn and dusk.

Breeds across much of southern Canada, the northern and western United States, and locally in New England and the Appalachians; winters from the southern United States through Mexico and parts of Central America.

Dry grasslands, prairies, weedy pastures, hayfields, sagebrush flats, field edges, and occasionally cultivated croplands with scattered shrubs or fence lines.

Arrives on breeding territories from April to early May; peak singing May–July, often at dawn and dusk. Post-breeding flocks form July–August, followed by southbound migration August–October. Winters November–March in open fields and desert grasslands of the southern U.S. and Mexico.

The Vesper Sparrow is a fairly large, streaky sparrow of open country, named for its sweet, ringing song that often continues into the evening "vespers" after other birds have fallen silent. With subtle yet distinctive field marks, it quietly forages on the ground or from low perches, flashing white tail edges in flight.