Bird
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
A summer resident that nests in West Virginia. Found in all 55 counties, across 4 habitats.
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 4
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 4
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in West Virginia 4
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 4
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (19)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia. Those recorded in West Virginia first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (2)
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- Florida Dry Prairie Winter.
Midwest (1)
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Winter.
West (1)
- California Central Valley Mixed Oak Savanna Winter.
Land cover and other classes (15)
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 38 of 55 counties.
- Summer: nests here, in 37 of 55 counties.
Food plants
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.
Native plants in these genera 266
- Appalachian Woodland SedgeCarex austrolucorum
- Awned SedgeCarex atherodes
- Bebb's SedgeCarex bebbii
- Bottlebrush SedgeCarex hystericina
- Carex atlantica subsp. atlanticaCarex atlantica subsp. atlantica
- Carex atlantica subsp. capillaceaCarex atlantica subsp. capillacea
- Carex bromoides subsp. bromoidesCarex bromoides subsp. bromoides
- Carex brunnescens subsp. sphaerostachyaCarex brunnescens subsp. sphaerostachya
- Carex communis var. communisCarex communis var. communis
- Carex scoparia var. scopariaCarex scoparia var. scoparia
- Carex tonsa var. tonsaCarex tonsa var. tonsa
- Cloud SedgeCarex haydenii
- Coupled SedgeCarex laxiculmis var. copulata
- Davis SedgeCarex davisii
- Dioecious SedgeCarex sterilis
- False Summer SedgeCarex × aestivaliformis
- Few-flower SedgeCarex pauciflora
- Inland SedgeCarex interior
- Lakebank SedgeCarex lacustris
- Necklace Spike SedgeCarex ormostachya
- New England SedgeCarex novae-angliae
- Northern SedgeCarex deflexa
- Prairie SedgeCarex prairea
- Prairie Straw SedgeCarex suberecta
Plant genera in its diet records (21)
- Nassella 10 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Camelina 6 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Carex 6 diet records. 161 native plants in West Virginia
- Amaranthus 4 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Chenopodium 4 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Panicum Seeds. 4 diet records. 11 native plants in West Virginia
- Poa 4 diet records. 8 native plants in West Virginia
- Viola 4 diet records. 31 native plants in West Virginia
- Androsace 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Bouteloua 2 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Cyperus Seeds. 2 diet records. 16 native plants in West Virginia
- Danthonia Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Deschampsia Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Euphorbia 2 diet records. 10 native plants in West Virginia
- Hesperostipa 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Oxalis Seeds. 2 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
- Plantago 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Setaria Seeds. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Sorghastrum Seeds. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Sporobolus 2 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
- Thlaspi 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in West Virginia, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Birds 89
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- American WigeonAnas americana
Plants 905
- Pussy WillowSalix discolor
- Crooked-stem AsterSymphyotrichum prenanthoides
- Long Stalk AsterSymphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Bushy KnotweedPolygonum ramosissimum subsp. prolificum
- Carey's KnotweedPersicaria careyi
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Northern Evening-primroseOenothera parviflora
- Oakes Evening PrimroseOenothera oakesiana
All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in West Virginia
Mountain balds
Birds 27
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopus
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Plants 65
- Mountain Highbush BlueberryVaccinium simulatum
- Mountain AndromedaPieris floribunda
- Atlantic GoldenrodSolidago arguta var. caroliniana
- Smooth BlackberryRubus canadensis
- Southern Mountain CranberryVaccinium erythrocarpum
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense
- Northern Roughleaf GoldenrodSolidago patula
- Cumberland AzaleaRhododendron cumberlandense
- Flame AzaleaRhododendron calendulaceum
- Pale SedgeCarex pallescens
- Heller's Blazing-starLiatris helleri
- Filmy AngelicaAngelica triquinata
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 52
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Palm WarblerDendroica palmarum
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Plants 204
- Bristly BlackberryRubus setosus
- Rubus invisusRubus invisus
- Tall LarkspurDelphinium exaltatum
- Northeastern BindweedCalystegia sepium subsp. americana
- Canada PlumPrunus nigra
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana var. virginiana
- Fire CherryPrunus pensylvanica
- Silky DogwoodCornus obliqua
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Gray DogwoodCornus racemosa
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Vesper Sparrow
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus