Vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus affinis) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

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Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

The Vesper Sparrow is protected by the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 which makes it illegal to possess migratory birds or their nests. It is also protected as wildlife under the British Columbia Wildlife Act, which prohibits shooting, trapping, poisoning or any other measure of killing of wildlife, or the disturbance or destruction of eggs or active nests.

In the east, the Vesper Sparrow, P. g. gramineus, is listed as Endangered in Rhode Island (where it is currently extirpated), Connecticut, and New Jersey. It is considered Threatened in Maryland, and a Species of Concern in New York and Maine. It has been assigned a Natural Heritage Status of “state significantly rare species breeding and wintering” in North Carolina (Jones and Cornely 2002).

In the west, the Vesper Sparrow, P. g. confinis, is a species of Concern in Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin and is a Priority Focus Species in Nevada (Jones and Cornely 2002).

The Coastal Vesper Sparrow, P. g. affinis, is on the Red-list in British Columbia (Fraser et al. 1999). It is considered at risk in all jurisdictions (Table 1) and is includedon a list of “Birds of Conservation Concern” by the US Fish and Wildlife Services: this group includes all “species, subspecies and populations of migratory non-game birds that, without additional conservation effort are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973” (USFWS 2002).