McCown's Longspur

Calcarius mccowniiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: MCLO Scientific Name: CALMCC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179525

Head

Topo Map: Perching-like Head

Bill Shape: Cone
Eye Color: Black in adult females; Black to dark brown-black in adult males.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped, Striped, Malar or malar stripe
Crown Color: Black
Forehead Color: Black
Nape Color: Buff-gray
Throat Color: White
Cere color: No Data

Recommended Products:

Body

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Length Range: 15 cm (6 in)
Weight: 23 g (0.8 oz)
Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
Color: White, Black, Gray, Rufous or Rust
Underparts: White with black breast band and gray sides.
Upperparts: Buff and brown streaked.
Back Pattern: Striped or streaked
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

Flight

Topo Map: Perching-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.
Wingspan Range: 25 cm (10 in)
Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Pointed Tail
Tail Pattern: Marked with inverted T-shape
Upper Tail: White with brown tip and brown central feathers.
Under Tail: White with brown tip.
Leg Color: Black

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

McCown's Longspur

McCown's Longspur: Medium-sized sparrow with streaked gray upperparts, plain gray underparts, and darker breast. The head has a black crown, white face and throat, and a stout, heavy bill. White tail has diagnostic black inverted T. Wings have chestnut-brown bars. Black legs and feet.

● Song: "see, see, see me, see me, hear me, hear me, see", "churrip-churrip"

● Foraging & Feeding: McCown's Longspur: Feeds on seeds, insects, and other arthropods. Captures prey by flushing, stalking, hawking, or gleaning.

● Breeding & nesting: McCown's Longspur: Two to four white to pale olive eggs marked with brown and lavender are laid in a shallow ground depression lined with grass, weeds, roots, and lichens. Eggs are incubated for 12 days by the female.

● Similar species: McCown's Longspur: Chestnut-Collared Longspur has a white tail with black triangle, black belly, and chestnut-brown collar.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

● Range & Habitat: McCown's Longspur: Breeds from Alberta and southwestern Manitoba south to Dakotas, Wyoming, and Colorado. Spends winters from Nebraska and Colorado southward. Found in shortgrass prairies, native grasslands, pastures, and agricultural areas.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.8 Ounces

Perching-like Head

Perching-like Body

Perching-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America