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Home/Species/ Oregon Vesper Sparrow

Pooecetes gramineus affinis

G. S. Miller, 1888

Oregon Vesper Sparrow

T2T2 (G5T2) Found in 40 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
T2T2Global Rank
Very high - highThreat Impact
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Wentao Yang; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Wentao Yang; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Suzanne Labbé; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Suzanne Labbé; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Blair Dudeck; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Blair Dudeck; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Aaron Maizlish; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Aaron Maizlish; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). © Grace C; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Grace C; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106361
Element CodeABPBX95011
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSubspecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyPasserellidae
GenusPooecetes
Synonyms
Pooecetes gramineus ssp. affinis
Other Common Names
Bruant vespéral de la sous-espèce affinis (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1957. The AOU check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. 691 pp.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-08-03
Change Date2022-08-03
Edition Date2022-08-03
Edition AuthorsYoung, B. (2022)
Threat ImpactVery high - high
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This taxon has suffered a very large long-term population decline due to the conversion of its grassland habitat to agricultural and other uses. Survey data indicate that the population decline continues as the threats from nest predators, pesticides, and disturbances remain.
Range Extent Comments
This taxon historically ranged during the breeding season from extreme northwestern California, USA, north along the west side of the Cascade Mountains to southwestern British Columbia, Canada, and overwintered in central and southern California and northwestern Baja California, Mexico. The species has declined across much of its range.
Occurrences Comments
The number of occurrences is difficult to estimate due to the vagility of grassland sparrows, but breeding season records reported by citizen scientists suggest 30-60 occurrences were occupied between 2012-2022 (eBird 2022).
Threat Impact Comments
The primary threat that has caused declines in this species are habitat loss and degradation cause by conversion to agriculture, grazing, and urbanization (Altman et al. 2021). Changes in fire regimes has allowed some grasslands to be invaded by trees, shrubs, and nonnative grasses. Additional stressors are nest predation by feral cats and possibly native mammals such as raccoons, recreational activities, and pesticides (e.g., neonicotinoids applied to seeds) (Altman et al. 2021).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Coastal Vesper Sparrow nests on the ground in structurally diverse and sparsely vegetated grasslands and savannas that include scattered trees or shrubs and patches of bare, gravelly soil. Structural diversity is important because these sparrows use the taller perches for singing while open areas are used for foraging (COSEWIC 2018, Altman et al. 2021). In western Washington, the species is found in prairies, airports, and occasionally pastures (Altman et al. 2021).
Terrestrial Habitats
SavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1B
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS1BYes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
OregonS1BYes
WashingtonS1BYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted (11-30%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasRestricted (11-30%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculturePervasive (71-100%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate - insignificant/negligible
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsPervasive (71-100%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate - insignificant/negligible
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.3.3 - Herbicides and pesticidesSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (40)
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderKlamath National Forest435
MuseKlamath National Forest238
Orleans Mtn.Klamath National Forest49,090
Orleans Mtn. BSix Rivers National Forest17,183
ShacklefordKlamath National Forest1,679
SiskiyouKlamath National Forest54,039
Snow MountainMendocino National Forest14,457
Oregon (25)
AreaForestAcres
BearwallowsDeschutes National Forest7,317
Bend WatershedDeschutes National Forest14,829
Brown Mt.Winema National Forest3,117
EagleMt. Hood National Forest16,841
ElkhornWillamette National Forest9,380
Frog CampWillamette National Forest491
HuckleberryWillamette National Forest793
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
Mt. JeffersonDeschutes National Forest2,282
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
Mt. Hood AdditionsMt. Hood National Forest13,061
N. BoundaryWinema National Forest769
OdessaWinema National Forest146
Opal CreekWillamette National Forest5,417
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
Sky Lakes BWinema National Forest9,615
South KalmiopsisSiskiyou National Forests104,477
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Thirsty Creek AppendageUmpqua National Forest2,255
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
W. BoundaryWinema National Forest2,345
Waldo - KochWillamette National Forest245
Waldo - LakeWillamette National Forest2,993
Waldo - Salmon CreekWillamette National Forest3,195
West - South BachelorDeschutes National Forest25,994
Washington (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekGifford Pinchot National Forest7,980
Coal Creek BluffGifford Pinchot National Forest1,164
Dixon MountainGifford Pinchot National Forest6,339
Norse PeakWenatchee National Forest10,169
Packwood LakeGifford Pinchot National Forest1,084
PompeyGifford Pinchot National Forest23,985
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
TumwaterGifford Pinchot National Forest8,676
References (11)
  1. Altman, B. 2017. Conservation Assessment for the Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis). Report to USDA Forest Service, Region 6 and USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon and Washington, Interagency Special Status and Sensitive Species Program. American Bird Conservancy. 64 pp. https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/documents4/ca-bi-pooecetes-gramineus-affinis-2017-03.docx
  2. Altman, B., D.W. Stinson, and G.E. Hayes. 2021. Status Report for the Oregon Vesper Sparrow in Washington. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington. 33+ iii pp
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1957. The AOU check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. 691 pp.
  4. eBird. 2022. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org.
  5. Erickson, R. 2008. Oregon Vesper Sparrow Species Account in California Bird Species of Special Concern: A ranked assessment of species, subspecies, and distinct populations of birds of immediate conservation concern in California (W.D. Shuford and T. Gardali, editors). Studies of Western Birds 1. Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, California, and California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=10433&inline
  6. Jones, S. L. and J. E. Cornely. 2020. Vesper Sparrow (<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.vesspa.01
  7. Leeman, L., and L. Edson. 2002. Distribution and abundance of Vesper Sparrow in the Central Valley. Central Valley Bird Club Bull. 5:4-10. http://www.cvbirds.org/wp-content/themes/cvbirds/files/V.5no.1/V.5no.2pp4-10.pdf
  8. Sauer, J.R., D.K. Niven, J.E. Hines, D.J. Ziolkowski, Jr., K.L. Pardieck, J.E. Fallon, and W.A. Link. 2017. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2015. Version 2.07.2017 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. Available online at http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/bbs.html.
  9. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2018. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-day Findings for Three Species. Federal Register 83(124):30091-30094.
  10. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. National Listing Workplan. Online. Available: https://www.fws.gov/project/national-listing-workplan
  11. Vickery, P. D., Tubaro, P. L., Cardosa da Silva, J. M., Peterjohn, B. G., Herkert, J. R., and Cavalcanti, R. B. 1999. Conservation of grassland birds in the Western Hemisphere. Studies Avian Biol. 19:2-26.