Smith's Longspur

Calcarius pictusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: SMLO Scientific Name: CALPIC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179529

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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.

Smith's Longspur

Smith's Longspur: Medium sparrow, yellow-brown streaked upperparts, black head with white eyebrow and ear patch, and yellow-brown nape, throat, and underparts. Wings have large white bars. Tail is black with white edges. Yellow-brown legs and feet. Feeds on seeds, spiders, and insects.

● Song: "wee-chew!"

● Foraging & Feeding: Smith's Longspur: Eats seeds, insects, and spiders on tundra. In winter, feeds mostly on seeds; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Smith's Longspur: Four to six buff to light green eggs marked with lavender and brown are laid in a ground hollow lined with plant materials and feathers, and hidden beneath surrounding vegetation. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Smith's Longspur: Lapland Longspur has red-brown nape, white underparts streaked with black, and lacks white wing patch.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides., Swift erratic zigzag flight when flushed.

Smith's Longspur Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Smith's Longspur: Breeds from northern Alaska across northern Canada to Hudson Bay. Spends winters from Nebraska south to Texas. Breeds on dry, hummocky areas of Arctic tundra, sometimes near forest edges. Spends winters on open fields.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationYes but uncommon

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1 Ounces

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

Smith's Longspur

Smith's Longspur

Flight Pattern