Overview

Lapland Longspur: Medium sparrow-like bird, brown-streaked black back. Underparts are white, streaked black on sides, flanks. Crown, face, and throat are black; nape is red-brown. Broad white stripe from eye to sides of breast. Bill is yellow with dark tip. Tail is long, white edges.

Lapland Longspur: Breeds from Aleutians, Alaska, and Arctic islands to northern Quebec. Winters regularly throughout northern states to California, Texas, and North Carolina.; also in northern Eurasia. Nests on Arctic tundra; in migration stays on alpine meadows. Winters on farm fields, pastures, grasslands, and grassy coastal dunes.

Voice Text

"tee-lee-oo", "tee-dle"

• The more common name for this bird is Lapland Bunting. It is only known as the Lapland Longspur in North America. 'Longspur' refers to the elongated claw of the hind toe.
• It breeds in the high arctic with continual daylight during the summer, and a breeding male may sing at any hour of the day. Despite the lack of a real dawn, the male tends to sing most in the early morning.
• Some winter flocks have been estimated as large as four million birds.
• A group of longspurs are collectively known as a "drive" of longspurs.

• Chestnut-collared Longspur
• Smith's Longspur

Longspurs and Snow Buntings (Calcariidae)

ORDER

Most of the small birds such as finches, thrushes, sparrows, and buntings are members of the one hundred and eighteen families found in the largest taxonomic order of birds; the PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez).

FAMILY TAXONOMY

Longspurs and Snow Buntings are in the Calcariidae (pronounced cal-ca-RI-uh-dee) family. There are six species in three genera.

NORTH AMERICA

All six species of the Calcariidae family occur in North America, however the McKay’s Bunting is only found along the west coast of Alaska.

KNOWN FOR

Longspurs can live in a wide variety of habitats and can eat between 3,000 and 10,000 seeds or insects per day.

PHYSICAL

Members of the Calcariidae family are small active birds with cone-shaped bills.

COLORATION

The longspurs have a wider range of color, from buff and chestnut to brown and black, along with black and white marked heads. The buntings are primarily black and white.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

All of the Calcariidae occur in North America. Only the Lapland Longspur and the Snow Bunting occur in Eurasia as well. Members of this family can be found on tundra, mountains, beaches and grasslands.

MIGRATION

Members of this family are short distance migrants.

HABITS

Calcariidae eat both seeds and insects, they also gather in flocks in the winter.

CONSERVATION

McKay’s Bunting is listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened due to an estimated population of less than 6,000. The Chestnut-collared Longspur is also listed as Near Threatened from habitat loss.

INTERESTING FACTS

Some winter flocks of Lapland Longspurs have been estimated at over four million birds.

Author

Artist

Michael Oberhofer