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Chestnut-collared Longspur

Calcarius ornatusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Chesnut-collared Longspur Portrait
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General

Chestnut-collared Longspur: Small, sparrow-like bird with brown-streaked upperparts, black breast and flanks, some have chestnut on underparts, and pale gray belly. Face is buff with black stripe behind eye. Nape is chestnut-brown, crown is black, and throat is white. Tail is black with strongly contrasting white outer tail feathers. Female and winter adult are buff overall with complex brown streaks.

Range and Habitat

Chestnut-collared Longspur: Breeds from Alberta and Manitoba south to Minnesota and Wyoming. Spends winters from Colorado and Kansas south to Texas and northern Mexico. Dry elevated prairies and short-grass plains are preferred habitats.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kit-tal-kit tal"

Interesting Facts

  • The Chestnut-collared Longspur bred historically at sites recently grazed by bison or disturbed by fire. Even today, it avoids nesting in areas protected from grazing, preferring pastures and mowed areas such as airstrips, as well as grazed native prairie habitats.
  • The name Longspur refers to the elongated claw of the hind toe.
  • The male displays by flying into the air, circling and fluttering, then singing in descent with tail spread wide; he will often repeat this performance several times without landing.
  • A group of longspurs are collectively known as a "drive" of longspurs.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Chestnut-collared Longspur
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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.
Family
Species Calcarius ornatus
Length5.75 - 6.5 Inches
Wingspan10.375 Inches

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Chestnut-collared Longspur: Small, sparrow-like bird with brown-streaked upperparts, black breast and flanks, some have chestnut on underparts, pale gray belly. Face is buff with black stripe behind eye. Nape is chestnut-brown, crown is black, and throat is white. Tail is black with strongly contrasting white outer tail feathers.

● Song: "kit-tal-kit tal"

● Foraging & Feeding: Chestnut-collared Longspur: Feeds primarily on grass seeds and insects; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Chestnut-collared Longspur: Four to five white eggs, marked with brown, black, and purple, are laid in a grass-lined hollow under a clump of grass. Incubation ranges from 10 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Chestnut-collared Longspur: McCown's Longspur has rust-brown shoulders and larger bill. Lapland Longspur all-black underparts and white on face.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight with rapid wing beats.
Chesnut-collared Larkspur Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Chestnut-collared Longspur: Breeds from Alberta and Manitoba south to Minnesota and Wyoming. Spends winters from Colorado and Kansas south to Texas and northern Mexico. Dry elevated prairies and short-grass plains are preferred habitats.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.7 Ounces