Calcarius lapponicus
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Mass
~30 g
Habitat
Grasslands and meadows
Diet
Seeds and grains
How to recognize it
The Lapland Longspur is most memorable for its northern, open-country habits rather than for sitting still in view. In breeding plumage, the male looks especially bold, while in everyday life it is a rather plain, compact presence on treeless ground.
Its voice is often noticed first. In flight it gives short, sharp notes and in the breeding season it likes to sing while rising and dropping in display flights.
It lives on tundra slopes and in low, shrubby places where trees are absent. In summer it feeds mainly on insects, then switches to seeds in winter, nesting on the ground and moving south outside the breeding season.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Lapland Longspur is most memorable for its northern, open-country habits rather than for sitting still in view. In breeding plumage, the male looks especially bold, while in everyday life it is a rather plain, compact presence on treeless ground.
Its voice is often noticed first. In flight it gives short, sharp notes and in the breeding season it likes to sing while rising and dropping in display flights.
It lives on tundra slopes and in low, shrubby places where trees are absent. In summer it feeds mainly on insects, then switches to seeds in winter, nesting on the ground and moving south outside the breeding season.
