What does the Vesper Sparrow song sound like?

Pooecetes gramineus

Song common

Play the real Vesper Sparrow song, the "chee-ti-ti tisilée siléé siléé", and learn what to listen for.

“chee-ti-ti tisilée siléé siléé”

What the Vesper Sparrow song sounds like

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.

“chee-ti-ti tisilée siléé siléé”

Birders often file this one under Primary Evening Song.

How to find the bird singing it

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

White outer tail feathers: Conspicuous white edges to the tail visible in flight and when flicked while perched.
Rusty shoulder patch: Small, warm rufous patch on the lesser coverts (bend of wing); often concealed but diagnostic when seen.
Crisp white eye ring: Complete, bright eye ring gives a gentle, open-faced look.

When you'll hear it

Breeding

Fresh plumage shows crisp streaks; males sing persistently from fences and shrubs.

Migration

Often forms loose flocks with Savannah or Song Sparrows; white tail flashes betray their presence as they flush from field edges.

Winter

Plumage slightly duller and more worn; gathers in open weedy fields and desert grasslands of the southern U.S. and Mexico.

Don’t confuse it with

Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah is smaller and shorter-tailed with yellowish eyebrow patch.

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow is more heavily streaked with broader blurrier streaks and a longer, rounded tail.

Vesper Sparrow song FAQ

What does a Vesper Sparrow song sound like?

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. Birders write it as "chee-ti-ti tisilée siléé siléé".

How do I tell a Vesper Sparrow from a Savannah Sparrow by ear?

Savannah Sparrow: Savannah is smaller and shorter-tailed with yellowish eyebrow patch.; Lacks white outer tail feathers and rusty shoulder patch..

When is the best time to hear the Vesper Sparrow song?

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.

More Vesper Sparrow sounds

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