Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.5–6.3 in
14–16 cm - Weight
- 0.9–1 oz
25–29 g
Other Names
- Bruant à collier gris, Bruant de McCown (French)
- Arnoldo de McCown (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Longspur refers to the elongated claw of the hind toe.
- McCown's Longspur territories are established and maintained by characteristic aerial displays, where the male flies up and sings while floating downward. The male may alight on the ground following a display, but more typically he rises up again and repeats the display. He may also sing from perches such as shrubs and rocks.
Habitat
Grassland
Sparse short grass plains, plowed and stubble fields, and bare or nearly bare ground.
Food
Seeds
Seeds and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–6 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
In the Aerial Display, the male flutters upward to a height of about 10 meters (33 feet) and then descends, teetering on outstretched wings held back to display the vivid white lining, with its white-and-black-patterned tail fanned, and issuing a tinkling, warbling song.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining in some areas.
Credits
- With, K. A. 1994. McCown's Longspur (Calcarius mccownii). In The Birds of North America, No. 96 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.