Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: LALO Scientific Name: CALLAP ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179526

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

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.

Range and Habitat

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

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

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

Interesting Facts

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.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

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.

Lapland Longspur

● Song: "tee-lee-oo", "tee-dle"

● Foraging & Feeding: Lapland Longspur: Feeds on insects and spiders; also eats seeds; forages on the ground and in snow.

● Breeding & nesting: Lapland Longspur: Four to seven pale to gray-green eggs with brown and black markings are laid in a ground depression lined with grass, lichens, moss, and rootlets. Incubation ranges from 10 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Lapland Longspur: Smith's Longspur is buff overall and has small, white wing patches.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Lapland Longspur Breeding Male Body Illustration

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

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to abundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

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