The song of this bird is one of the characteristic sounds of spring evenings in much of the high desert country of eastern Oregon.

This temperate migrant is a ground-nesting, ground-foraging bird of most of the grassland, agricultural land, and shrubs steppe habitats of Oregon.

The streaked brownish plumage of the Vesper sparrow is similar to that of several small to medium-sized sparrows, except for white outer tail feathers, shown most conspicuously in flight.

The Oregon vesper sparrow is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Klamath Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions.

Hear the song of the Vesper sparrow

Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW