Longspurs · Perching birds
Lapland Longspur
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Calcarius lapponicus
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Voice
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Length 15–16 cm; robust build, thick yellow bill
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In summer, male has a black head and throat, white eyestripe, chestnut nape
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In other plumages, orange-brown head, browner back, chestnut nape and wing panels
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Short, piercing flight call, "teeww"
About the species
In breeding plumage, the male has a black head and throat, a white stripe above the eye, and a chestnut nape. His white underside contrasts with a dark, heavily streaked back. In other plumages, the head and back are browner, with chestnut still visible on the nape and wings; the bill is yellow.
The flight call is a hard "prrrrt," often preceded by a nasal "teeww." In the breeding season, it also gives a softer "duyyeee," pauses, then alternates with "triiiuuu." Males sing during a diving flight.
It breeds on open northern ground, especially wet tundra, marshes, and tussock-covered slopes. There it feeds on insects in summer, then switches to seeds for winter, picking them from the ground in agricultural fields. Many move south after breeding and may forage in winter flocks with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks.
Where to find
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On treeless hills with dwarf shrubs during the breeding season, listen for the Lapland Longspur's males singing in a diving flight.
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In wet tundra lowlands and marshes in summer, watch for feeding among the vegetation when insects are not flying.
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In the Russian steppes in winter, look for seed-picking on the ground.
