WhenToBird

Pooecetes gramineus · Passerellidae

Vesper Sparrow: When and Where to See It

Adult Vesper Sparrow
Photo: Dani Alba, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Vesper Sparrow reaches Missouri first, around the second week of March, and Montana last, around mid April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

Embed this map on your site

0%0.5%1%1.5%Jan 1-7: 0.5% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.5% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.6% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.5% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.5% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.4% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.4% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.4% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.4% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.4% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.5% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.6% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.9% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.1% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.1% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 1.0% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.0% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.9% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.9% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.1% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.2% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.3% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.3% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.2% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.1% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.9% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.7% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.6% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.6% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.6% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.7% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.9% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.1% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.1% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.0% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.8% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.8% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.9% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.9% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.8% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.6% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.6% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.6% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.5% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.5% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.6% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.5% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
New MexicoSummer visitorMar 1-7Sep 15-21Oct 22-319.0%
MissouriSummer visitorMar 8-14Apr 1-7May 15-211.1%
IndianaSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14Aug 8-141.7%
OhioSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14Aug 1-71.3%
IowaSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 15-21Aug 8-142.3%
IllinoisSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 8-14Aug 8-142.1%
ColoradoSummer visitorApr 1-7Sep 8-14Oct 1-710%
UtahSummer visitorApr 1-7Sep 8-14Oct 1-76.2%
NevadaSummer visitorApr 1-7Sep 8-14Oct 8-143.4%
WashingtonSummer visitorApr 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 8-141.7%
North DakotaSummer visitorApr 8-14Jun 22-30Sep 22-3014%
WyomingSummer visitorApr 8-14May 8-14Sep 15-219.9%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 8-14Sep 22-30Oct 15-215.3%
IdahoSummer visitorApr 8-14Sep 1-7Sep 15-214.5%
MichiganSummer visitorApr 8-14Jun 15-21Aug 1-72.9%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 8-14Jul 1-7Aug 8-142.8%
MaineSummer visitorApr 8-14Jun 15-21Jul 22-311.1%
OregonSummer visitorApr 8-14Jun 8-14Sep 15-211.9%
WisconsinSummer visitorApr 8-14Jun 15-21Aug 1-72.4%
MontanaSummer visitorApr 15-21Jun 22-30Sep 15-2115%
ArizonaSummer visitorAug 22-31Sep 22-30Apr 8-147.3%
ConnecticutPasses throughOct 8-14Oct 15-21Nov 1-72.4%
District of ColumbiaPasses throughOct 8-14Oct 22-31Nov 8-141.7%
New JerseyPasses throughOct 8-14Oct 22-31Nov 1-71.6%
New YorkWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 22-31Nov 8-141.2%
TexasWinter visitorOct 8-14Dec 8-14Apr 8-143.9%
ArkansasWinter visitorOct 8-14Oct 22-31Jan 22-311.4%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Jan 22-311.9%
AlabamaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Apr 1-71.5%
GeorgiaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Apr 1-71.4%
LouisianaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Mar 8-141.0%
MississippiWinter visitorNov 1-7Dec 8-14Mar 1-71.2%
NebraskaWinter visitorJul 8-14Oct 1-7Oct 22-316.5%
KansasWinter visitorSep 1-7Oct 8-14Nov 8-144.8%
OklahomaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 22-31Feb 1-74.0%

Winter visitor in: New York, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma

Passes through: Connecticut, District of Columbia, New Jersey

Summer visitor in: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, South Dakota, Arizona