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Vesper Sparrow; Bay-winged Bunting
Adult--Upper parts brownish gray with dark streaks; tail dark brown, the outer feather white; under parts grayish buff streaked with black. Length--6.12.
Breeding Range--From southern Virginia northward; westward to the plains.
The nest is always placed on the ground, generally at the root of a tall weed or small bush in an open field; it is slightly made of coarse and fine grass and small roots, lined with horse-hair. 4 or 5 eggs are laid; they are whitish, thinly spotted and blotched with warm brown and lilac, with sometimes a few black markings. Size--.80 x .60. See Fig. 13, Plate B.
These sparrows are distinguished by the white outside tail feathers, which are extremely noticeable when the bird flies. Do not mistake it for a junco or titlark! They are among the commonest of the sparrows in parts of Long Island and in New England, where they commence breeding towards the end of May, raising as many as three broods during the season. They are called Vesper Sparrows from their habit of singing until quite late in the evening.