Smith's Longspur
Calcarius pictus
The Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) is a rare longspurs and snow bunting found in 2 countries, weighing about 27 g. Smith's longspur is a bird from the family Calcariidae, which also contains the other species of longspurs.
About the Smith's Longspur
Smith's longspur is a bird from the family Calcariidae, which also contains the other species of longspurs. A bird of open habitats, it breeds in northern Canada and Alaska, and winters in the southern United States. Primarily a ground-feeding seed-eater, it supplements its diet with insects in the summer.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
These birds have short cone-shaped bills, streaked backs, and dark tails with white outer rectrices. In breeding state plumage (mostly formed by worn basic plumage), the male has a pumpkin-orange throat, nape, and underparts contrasting with an intricate black-and-white face pattern. The white lesser coverts are quite pronounced on a male in spring and early summer. Females and immatures have lightly streaked buffy underparts, dark crowns, brown wings with less obvious white lesser coverts, and a light-colored face. The tail is identical at all ages.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, October, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Smith's Longspur?
- These birds have short cone-shaped bills, streaked backs, and dark tails with white outer rectrices. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Smith's Longspur?
- The Smith's Longspur is a small sized bird weighing about 27 g.
- Where can you see a Smith's Longspur?
- The Smith's Longspur occurs in 2 countries, including the United States and Canada.
- What birds look similar to a Smith's Longspur?
- The Smith's Longspur is most easily confused with the Chestnut-collared Longspur and the Lapland Longspur.
- Is the Smith's Longspur endangered?
- The Smith's Longspur is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Smith's Longspur for real
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