Lapland Longspur

Lapland Longspur, breeding male (Def. Alternate); Pribilof Is., AK; July

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A common songbird of the Arctic tundra, the Lapland Longspur winters in open fields across much of the United States and southern Canada.

Description

• Medium-sized sparrow-like bird.
• Short, thick, pointed bill.
• White outer tail feathers.
• Rufous patch in wings.
• Streaked sides.
• Smudge on breast.
• Breeding male with black face and chest, yellowish eyestripe, and rufous nape.

• Size: 15-16 cm (6-6 in)
• Wingspan: 22-28 cm (9-11 in)
• Weight: 23-33 g (0.81-1.16 ounces)

Sex Differences

Breeding male strikingly marked with black face and chest, and chestnut nape; female dull and striped.

Sound

Song a series of loud, squeaky, jingling notes. Calls a variety of zeeps, chips, and rattles. Alarm note a wheezy "tee-hu."

Conservation Status

Common and widespread. No significant population trends, although some local populations have declined.

Other Names

Bruant lapon (French)
Lapland Bunting (British) (English)

Cool Facts

• Some winter flocks of Lapland Longspurs have been estimated as large as four million birds. During snowstorms, such flocks sometimes collide with lighted structures such as radio towers, and thousands can be killed in a single night.
• The Lapland Longspur 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.

• ?Longspur? refers to the elongated claw of the hind toe.

Sources used to construct this page:

Hussell, D. J. T., and R. Montgomerie. 2002. Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus). In The Birds of North America, No. 656 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.